


Umbrageous Lions

by wanderlust_bitethedust



Category: The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-25
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2018-09-26 21:56:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 63,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9923786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanderlust_bitethedust/pseuds/wanderlust_bitethedust
Summary: Katherine and Caroline have been best friends for years. Sure they have had their fights, but they have always made it through. And being a 520 year old vampire that means something. Takes place from 1492 to present day.





	1. Chapter 1

**Part One: Chapter One  
**

" _ **Properly speaking, history is nothing but the crimes and misfortunes of the human race." – Pierre Bayle**_

* * *

**[1490/Bulgaria]**

She was screaming, sweaty, and very uncomfortable. Pain was ripping through her and she couldn't— wouldn't— stop it. Her baby must be born and safe within her arms. Another scream tore across her throat as another sharp burst of pain assaulted her. She needed this child out, now before it killed her!

"A little more dearest, a little more. Push…yes, like that. A little more," her mother cooed over her screams and wails. A little more? She had been pushing for what seemed like hours! When was this child going to leave her? Didn't it know all the pain and trouble it was causing her? Finally, she felt the child slip out of her smoothly.

"It's a girl," her mother announced. Though Katerina feels her body sagging with relief and exhaustion the thought of her raising a baby girl revives a small about of energy in her being. And she yearned to touch her girl and look into her eyes that she hopes will look so much like her's. "A girl. Please mother," Katerina reached for her baby, "let me see her."

"Woman, don't!" Her father's voice boomed and Katerina had almost forgotten her father was there watching her give birth. Dread filled her being as she remembered what her father was going to do. "What are you doing?"

Her mother handed the child—her child— to her father and her heart shattered. "Let me at least hold her once…just once!" Her arms reached out for her baby. She had all these plans, all these dreams made for her and her child, but now they wouldn't come true. Her child, her beautiful baby whose face she had never seen, was being taken away from her.

"Forget it! You have disgraced this family!" her father snapped. His tree bark brown orbs seemed to glow with a red fire and usually she would cower and bend to his will. However, this was her child and nothing would separate them. She would do anything in her power to get her back.

"Father, please! No, father, don't!" Katerina howled as her father stride out of the room. Each step devastated her and made her want her child even more. Tears clouded her vision and with a small burst of might, she tried to get herself off the bed, but her mother prevented her from even making a move off her divan.

"No, Katerina, its better for her," Mother told her. And she was right. Her father would scorn the child that was his granddaughter and if her daughter grew and walked around the town, everyone would act as if she had the plague due to the fact that she was a child born out of wedlock. Her daughter would be a pariah. So yes, this was better for her. But it didn't make the separation hut any less bitter. It fact, it made it worse knowing that she, Katerina Petrova, her mother, would be unable to make a happy life for her.

"No, mother, please," she pleaded pathetically. She was still crying and this just made her weep harder.

"Let her go…let her go, Katerina." Katerina cried harder. Of course, her mother would side with her father. She had no will and was so submissive. The "perfect wife" as they liked to call her.

"Please, mama…" It was a sad display and she knew it, but what was she to do? It was all she had left. The energy that she had before was slowly draining out of her and she was deflating.

A simple mistake.

Simple mistakes were causing her all of this pain and suffer. She had suffered for months holding that child; she had suffered rejection from that child's father. And now she was losing the child. It was too much; he had given away so much and now had gotten nothing in return, but tragedy.

Looking at her mother with her tear stained face and said in the smallest of whispers, "Please."

It wasn't just a plea for her child any longer it was a plea begging for:

Mercy.

Forgiveness.

And a chance for redemption.

* * *

Routines. She had hated and dreaded them as a child. Always doing the same thing every single day and with scarcely anytime for fun. She use to grimace at the thought; so repetitive, so dull and drab. However, now the word routine was her savior. She liked the thought of dull and drab. The spontaneous life she had planned before was too scandalous, bright, and vivid now.

The future she had planned for her and her baby (who would be two months old as of yesterday) was too exciting. Now that she didn't have her—

Katerina's train of thought stopped as she felt her body ache at the thought of her baby. She unconsciously rubbed her stomach, as if she would feel a kick or the bulge that proved that she had once a held a child within her. When she felt nothing her disposition dampened. Her father had made sure that she lost every trace of pregnancy by practically starving her and making her take long walks in the yard after every meal.

"Katerina?" a maid said as she poked her head into the room, "You have guest awaiting you." Katerina didn't move an inch and the maid didn't anticipate her too. The door finally creaked close and Katerina made a move. She looked around her black and white room; white walls, black furniture, and white sheets and curtains. It was simple, dull, and drab.

Just the way she liked it.

"This is the guest room," Katerina said as she showed her new "friend", that her parents got her to her room.

Carolina was a rainbow. She had long blonde curls that fell to her hips, blue eyes, rosy cheeks, and she wore a red dress with long fringed sleeves. As Katerina said, the girl was a rainbow. "Thank you," Carolina said. A small accent was laced around her words showing just how foreign she was.

Katerina nodded, "Call a maid if you need anything." She turned to walk off, but Carolina quickly clamped a hand around her wrist preventing her from doing so.

"Can I…can I ask something of you?" Carolina asked bashfully. Katerina nodded.

"Since you know this place better than I could you be kind enough to show me the town?"

"No." Going into the town meant facing people. And facing people meant that she would have to withstand their judgment and she just wasn't ready for that. But then her mother's plea started to ring in her ears. _Act pleasant and be kind and patience with Carolina. This is the first time she has ever been to Bulgaria._ That was her only request and who was she to deny her mother such a simple thing.

"Actually," Katerina said turning to face Carolina, "I would love to go into town with you."

~ _**BANG.**_

_**BANG.** _

_**BANG.** _

_The next day was sunny and Katerina awoke to an incessant pounding on her bedroom door. Grumbling, Katerina marched over to her door and ripped it open. "What," she bit out, looking at Carolina's cheery (but still shy) smile._

" _I was wondering if we could go into town now…after breakfast," she said quietly._

And that was Katerina's morning. Her breakfast was short due to the fact that Carolina was so impatient. They were currently trying to decide one dress out of the numerous dresses of the seamstress, though it wasn't fun for Katerina. She could feel the whispers and the stares hitting her back. All the rumors that had spread around must have been a tremendous amount considering how she was barely seen for the past two months.

"So Katerina? What is a daily life here in Bulgaria?"

"I'm not really sure," she said as she pasted on a fake smile. For two months, she had in hibernating; never leaving her room only to bathe or walk. Frankly, she had forgotten all the daily things that she used to do. That was a sad thought not to mention pathetic. She could feel Carolina's pitying and confused look and was about to defend herself when: "Katerina?"

Turning, Katerina's eyes widened as she saw _that_ man. His hair was up to the nape of his neck and was a sandy looking brown color. Sea green eyes looked at her with surprise as the small stability that Katerina had crumbled slowly underneath her feet.

"Katerina? Katerina Petrova! Oh, how good it is to see you again! I…I thought that you would still be with our child…" he continued on with amazed look on his face. Carolina's eyes flashed between him and Katerina when she heard the mention of a child. Darius; that was his name. Katerina wanted to kill him yet embrace him and cry onto his shoulder. Darius, was well known for being sleazy, suave and maybe, depending on his mood, rude and vulgar. He was also a notorious drinker. And now he was also going to be known as the father of her child. The man that helped her make that simple mistake and wasn't there to at least comfort her when the consequence became too much or to at least prevent her father from taking the child away from her.

"And who are you?" Katerina caught. Looking up she saw Darius looking at Carolina as if she was a holiday feast. Katerina looked down and if she wanted to, she would have cried. But she was a Petrova. She wouldn't shame herself in front of him and left her pride be hurt by something as trivial as this.

"I am Carolina. And I am sorry to leave so abruptly, but Katerina and I have an appointment that we just cannot miss. It was a pleasure meeting you…"

"Darius," he answers as he took her hand and kissed it, "and the pleasure was all mine."

Carolina smiled at him then quickly grabbed Katerina's hand and walked off. They rushed all the way to the Petrova manor and went and hid in Katerina's room. Katerina plopped herself down on her bed and said nothing. Carolina waited for her to speak, but she didn't, so she started the conversation.

"You had a baby?" Katerina froze and was waiting for the judgment and the remarks that would burn her skin and make her feel even hollower on the inside, but they never came. "Were you in love? With that man?"

Did I love Darius? Katerina thought to herself. He was very good looking and at the beginning of their courtship he was so sweet and kind to her. And he was so loyal to her, always wanting to spend time with her and always trying to talk to her and know how she was doing. Then they started to lay together and all of the previous sweetness had banished. After he lay with her she had to ask him to spend time with her and when she did he usually left her in favor of going to the local tavern. He still kissed, but he never really spent time with her anymore and that made the kiss meaningless. Darius no longer wished to spend time with her, unless it was to sleep with her. And now, the way she saw Darius looking at Carolina she now was completely sure that his loyalty never lay with her, but to his own need for pleasure.

"No, I do not believeI love him now…but at one point, I-." It was shameful to say it now. "I believe that I did love him at one point."

"Did you love the baby?"

"It pains me to know that my child will be calling another 'mother," Katerina said. Her eyes drifted to the ground and her heart swelled with sadness. Carolina looked at the brunette with pity.

"Then my friend you need a change of sencery."

"What?" Carolina smiled as she gazed at Katerina's flabbergasted face.

"Well you claimed that it pained you. The next logical step would be to escape the pain. I can barely stand my position as it is."

Katerina shook her head. "Carolina the very thought is mad. Get the notion out of your head."

When Katerina said the word mad a dark look flashed over Carolina's face, but she quickly fixed her feature and smiled, "Fine, but my offer still stands."

* * *

Katerina tossed and turned in her divan. Images of the most gruesome looking night ghast danced before her eyes taunting her. Groaning, she turned over on her side and opened her eyes only to be embraced by the sight of darkness.

At least, she thought to herself, I am not screaming and crying uncontrollably. Ever since the departure of her child, she had been plagued by horrible dreams that would seemingly plague her during the day. Every turn she would make she would think there was a monster trying to eat her or was already eating her child. She would cringe at the thought and close her eyes tightly until she finally thought it was gone.

_CREAK._

Someone entered her room and was holding a candle. Squinting her eyes, she noticed that it was Carolina. "Carolina? What are you doing awake at this ungodly hour?"

"I could ask the same of you." Carolina set the candle holder on her night stand and looked at her closely. The intense stare make Katerina feel bare and made her flush lightly (not that Carolina would see it in such low lighting). "What ails you?"

"Silly, nightghast dance in my dreams as soon as my eyes close." Carolina smiled at her and leaned in, "I once had the same problem, but then I got myseld a dreamcatcher."

"A what?"

"Wait." Carolina quickly scurried off, taking the light with her. But she was back as quickly as she had left with a small, oddly beautiful little trinket in her hands. "Here," she said as she shoved the object into her hands. Looking at it Katerina was curious at the simplistic beauty it held. A handful of colorful string was weaved around a craved wooden circle. The string was weaved around the circle so that it looked like a spider web, but with the center open in an octagonal like shape. Two pieces of the string dangled down from the bottom of the circle, the string were about five inches long and had a long feather and multiple beads attached to the end of it. It was simple and plain, but seemed shine with and aged beauty.

"What is this," she asked as she turned it over in her hands.

"A dream catcher. You hang it up over your divan and when the night ghast come to plague you the dream catcher will seize it through that hole in the center. Then it shall sprinkle down good things for good dreams on you through the feather," Carolina explained.

"Is this witchcraft?"

"Oh, heavens, no! If it is I shan't ever use it again."

"Fine."

"Where shall I hang the dream catcher?" Looking around they decided that they would hang it above her head where a painting of her father's property in England.

"There," Carolina said, obviously satisfied. They hid the painting under Katarina's wardrobe which was large enough to hold two small women.

"Are you sure the dream catcher will work?" Katerina asked. She still had a slight fear that it was witchcraft.

"Yes, now goodnight." And without a sound Carolina left taking the candle away…leaving Katerina in the dark.

Knowing that sitting up in bed doing nothing wouldn't help her, Katerina laid herself down and closed her eyes until she fell asleep.

* * *

 

_Blood was everywhere._

_The walls; the floor boards; every niche, nook and cranny was hugged by a sea of crimson. Walking farther into the home she felt her silk slippers being stained. Blood dripped from the ceiling dropping into her hair as if she was being anointed with oil._

_Turning a corner, Katerina walked into a sitting room with the only drops of blood being the ones her stained clothes brought. The pristine room was pure white. White oak table, white cushions, white curtains. The room was so innocent it hurt to look at, but the person in the room was what she looked at._

_Wavy hair. Chocolate brown eyes. A small pointed nose. She would be beautiful when older, but for three years old, she would be the handsomest baby ever alive. Katerina knew what happened next. The baby would smile at her and she would rip the baby, her child, to shreds with only her teeth. Her body would move then the next thing known to her would be a dismembered body._

_However, when Katerina started moving forward everything faded. And she was all that was left._

_It was just what she was asking for._

* * *

 

"So Katerina hiw did you rest last night?" Carolina asked the next morning. Everyone, mostly the Petrova's, were also wondering how she slept the night before. They hadn't heard any weeping.

Katerina took her sweet time with sipping her tea and putting jam on her toast. Everyone waited with baited breath for her response.

"I rest well last night. The best rest I've had in a while."

* * *

If there was one thing that Katerina liked, even in this (now slightly) monotonous life she now lived, was archery. She loved the feeling of a bow and arrow in her hand, the whistle the arrow made as it cut through the air, and the last (and best part) the loud thwack that it made as it hit its mark. And now as she heard the sound of the bow making a new home inside her target, she inwardly glowed with pride.

"Nice shot." Looking behind her, Katerina spotted Carolina standing behind her. Katerina 'hm'ed in response; she still was not as comfortable around Carolina, but she was slowly getting there. They had many conversations with each other after the sharing of the dream catcher and Carolina was slowly growing.

"May I have a try?" Carolina asked. Not really wanting to be impolite Katerina huffed as she shoved the bow and arrows in to her hands. She was a little bitter that Carolina was disturbing her. Carolina quickly settled herself in the stance that all archers stood in and lodged an arrow in the bow and pulled it back. Katerina gave a small smile at the sound of the bow croaking as it was pulled back to its full length.

_THWACK!_

Katerina stood astonished as Carolina shot fire at the target getting each and everyone right into the red center. When the quiver ran out of arrows to shoot Carolina looked at her with a smug smile on her face.

"I am a good shot, no?" she inquired.

Shrugging her shoulders Katerina looked back at her with a small look of envy. "Vanity is a sin, Carolina. And it doesn't look comely on you. Anyways, it was a spot of luck that helped you."

"Not luck; talent."

"Would you like to prove that with a small friend wager?"

"Katerina Petrova? Wanting to gamble? Such and unlady like thing?" Carolina said with a false surprise before her face melted into a mischievous smile. "What is the wager?"

"If I win you…have to…tell me a secret and do me a numerous amount of favors for a week."

"Fine, but if I win you must do the same."

Katerina smiled as she grabbed and bow and quiver, "Well then, shall we begin?" A smirk and a resounding thwack were her answers.

~Sweat accumulated on her brow as she pulled the bow back. Letting it go she watched as it split the air and it the target dead center. Katerina cheered and Carolina groaned as a servant added points to the board.

"That means only ten more points for me," Katerina cheered. Carolina growled. "What it is not my fault you're a bad shot!"

"I'm not bad; you just cheat." They had been at this game for hours now and the sun was hot as it pounded heat down on them. However neither wanted the lose the game. The whole point of the game was to assemble the most amount of points. At first Katerina had many bad shots and got little to no point, but Carolina's lucky streak had left her and allowed them to play on equal grounds. The score was now Katerina- 102 and Carolina-85.

Katerina chuckled as she sent a little servant boy to go and fetch the arrows so that they could play another round.

"Lady Carolina, Lady Katerina, it is time for tea," a servant announced.

"Well it seems I win," Katerina teased smugly. "And you owe me a secret."

"Fine…hmm, what to tell?" Carolina sighed. Her eyes glowed she came up with an idea as to what to tell. She lent over and whispered in Katerina's ear.

"I have a sister who married a man that was below my father's standard. It was expected considering she was mad." Katerina gasped. How could anyone love a person that was completely mad? And it was so scandalous too; to see a family as powerful and prideful as her own have a bad seed dwelling amongst them. Katerina felt guilty about hearing about this. She didn't need to _know_ about this. It was too personal and family orientated.

Smiling, Carolina looked at Katerina's face. "I told you that because I like to think of you as my friend. So I shall see you inside."

And with that, Carolina sauntered off, in an infuriating display of confidence, as if she had won and not the other way around.

* * *

In the months that Katerina had known Carolina they had become the best of friends that confess everything to each other. She and Carolina trusted each other probably even more than they trusted their families. They would go out often and say that they were related in some sort of way, which in turn made their parents smile at the seventeen year olds. However, coming to this state of friendship wasn't easy. They had had fights where they wanted nothing more then for the other to burn to ash, but then Katerina would say something or Carolina would make a heartfelt gesture and they would be the best of friends once more.

However, today was not really a day for smiling and for teasing. Carolina went back to France, but was said to return in a matter of weeks and it was the year anniversary of the birth of her daughter. A full year had past since her child had been brutally taken from her. Katerina no longer wished for the boring monotonous life she had been planning months before, however, the life she had planned with her daughter still seemed a little to…spontaneous. She much liked her new life with only held a moderate amount of surprises. She enjoyed sitting with Carolina and sipping tea or playing a silly childish game, which she had conjured up, in the garden. However, some things she much just couldn't repress or hide her pangs of sadness. Today was one of those days.

Locked in the room where she gave birth to her child, Katerina touched everything that she made for her child; booties, pajamas, hats, and scarves. She made them all just for them to never be used and to see all her carefully planned preparation go to waste broke her heart. And so she wept. And not very quietly. Katerina cried out so that everyone knew she was upset and mourning. Maids who passed by cringed when they heard her cry out in the Slavic tongue and those who were mother sympathized with the poor girl.

Crashes could be heard later on as Katerina decided that the only way to rid herself of her grief was to destroy everything that reminded her of her child. Everything was being destroyed in the process; perfume bottles, vases, pictures. By the time she was done Katerina was circled by a ring of broken things.

The worst part of all was that she could see her reflection in all of them.

"Katerina, come sit."

Butterflies flitted around the courtyard and flowers greeted people with vivid colors that seemed to shimmer in the sunlight, In the middle of the courtyard, sitting on white garden furniture, was Katerina's mother, Olivia. She sat smiling, some what nervously, at her.

"I have no intentions of sitting with you mother. I wish to speak with you and father," Katerina said. Taking a sip of her tea Olivia gave Katerina a pointed stare. She cleared her throat and put down her cup. "Mhm. You just missed your father. He had just left on a business trip. I am still available though. Come and sit. Have a cup of tea."

Katerina nodded and once she was seated, she started to formulate a plan as to how to approach the subject she wanted to talk about. "Katerina…I know," Olivia sighed and continued. "I know how you feel about losing your only child.:

"And how exactly would you know? You've always had me," Katerina asked slightly angry. How would she know the pain of being separated from a child that you have been planning and waiting for? Olivia sighed and put more sugar to her tea.

"When I was first wedded to your father, he was always away on business, like he is at the present. At the time, I believed that your father would spend all his time on me and making our family. Yet he usually left me for his work. I was very discouraged about our marriage and I longed for someone who could court me as your father once did. So I had an affair." Katerina gaped at her mother. Olivia smirked at the look on her daughter's face and chuckled lightly.

"I had an affair with Carolina's father. Now don't think that Carolina is your half sister. When I lay with him I got pregnant and had the most beautiful baby boy who we named Trevor, He looked too much like his father that I said he died of fever. I actually sold him."

Katerina gasped, "You sold your own son? My brother?"

"He was your half brother and yes. I did. It was for the best. Your father would have killed the child and I would not have that, so I sold him. The moral of this is that…we sold your child because it was what was best for you and her at the time."

" _No, Katerina, its better for her."_ That was what her mother said and at the time, it made perfect sense to her, but she didn't think the long-term consequences would be that bad. She was depressed and wanted nothing more than her child. They sold her child because they thought that it was a good thing for her.

Anger bubbled up inside her as her mother patted in hand as if she understood the pain she was going through. "Better? Do you not hear me weep for my child because you took her from me? The difference between of stories, Mother is that you willing sold your child. I did not; I had her taken from me," Katerina said bitterly as she allowed tears to spill from her eyes. She had so many things she wanted to do; teach the child to sing, read, and write, play the flute to her at night, and dance with her during the day. So many things and plans wasted.

Holding her daughter, Olivia crooned, "Don't worry. When you get married you'll have another child." Katerina roughly shoved her away and looked at her with eyes that spoke volumes.

"Sadly…it won't be my first." Katerina could never forgive her family for this. Maybe it was time to move on.

~When Carolina visited a few weeks later, Katerina took her aside to the study so that they could have tea and talk. After having pleasant chit-chat Katerina decided to tell her about a decision she had made a while a go.

"I have decided that maybe you were right," she said.  
Raising an eyebrow Carolina sipped her tea, "About what?"

"Maybe," Katerina sighed, "it is time for a change of scenery."

"So you are taking my advice?"

"Yes." Carolina smiled widely.

"Where would you like to go?" she asked.

"England. I have never been there before and I would love to see London."

"To England it is." And the girl clinked cups, not knowing that leaving their families behind could have been the best or worst decision made in their soon to be long lives.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part One: Chapter Two**

" _ **There are souls that are incurable and lost to the rest of society. Deprive them of one means of folly; they will invent ten thousand others. They will create subtler, wilder methods, methods that are absolutely DESPERATE." —Antonin Artaud**_

* * *

**[1492/England]**

Carolina could never really sacrifice herself to the pleasure and ecstasy of sex because that was exactly what it was; sex. It was pure lust and craving, nothing more. If only her parents could see her now, having sex without even being married, she wondered what they would think, what they would say, what would they do? Many men had come to her at the opera house begging her for release and she had given it to them because that was her job: to make the dreams of man a reality. It was a dirty and underhanded job, but it kept Carolina and Katerina off the streets, so that was all the motivation that they needed. Anyways, they needed to do those types of things to pay back the owner of the opera house.

Outside of Carolina's window she could hear the river rushing by almost silently. It was relaxing and reminded Carolina of her home in France, where she belonged. England wasn't meant for her. The people were mean to her because of the fact that she was French and they had a slight distaste for France at the moment. And if the people here did like her, they were always men that were her "clients" and liked her for the services she provided.

Carolina sighed, her train of thought was depressing her and she didn't like the feeling of depression like most people. She looked out the window and decided that a midnight stroll would lift the depressing air that was suffocating her.

* * *

The river kept the night air cool. The breezes the flitted by cooled her pink heated cheeks and allowed her to unwind. Luckily, the street she was wandering was vacant (excluding all the drunkards) she was able to lift her skirts above her ankles so that the brief breezes would be able to cool her legs a little bit. It was a scandalous act, but she was burning under all those skirts.

Carolina could never under why people believed that night time was the time that devils came out. To her it was no different from day, it was just darker and the moon and stars dominated a black velvet canvas. It was much prettier at night.

"Hello." Carolina turned and was hit by the rancid scent of alcohol.

* * *

In his five hundred plus years, Niklaus Mikaelson had learned that women could be equally or even more vicious then men. Take for example, his mother, Esther. She had neglected him, let Mikael abuse him, and killed his first love Tatia. Another perfect example would be his sister, Rebekah. She could kill more efficiently then Elijah could some days. So when he saw a beautiful, frail looking blonde girl being cornered by a very inhibited man, he decided to see if the girl would try and push the man away. Anyways, she looked like a tasty little snack.

"Hello," the drunk had said. The girl turned around and wrinkled her nose at his smell. She had a right to; even from where Klaus was standing he could smell all the cheap alcohol that the man had consumed.

"Hello," she responded kindly, looking absolutely unsure as to what to do and Klaus was able to tell from her accent that she hailed from France; probably Paris. The drunk sauntered closer to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. The girl slapped the man's arm off her shoulder and moved away from him.

The drunk groaned. "Come on, sweetie. I only want to have some fun," he whined.

"Find some other girl," she replied and she tried to walk away when the drunk when he grabbed her shoulders turned her around to face him.

"Now, darling, is that the way you treat a nice man like myself?" The drunk pulled her closer to him and was about to place a sloppy kiss on her lips, when the girl was able to wretch one of her hands free and slap him. The man gripped the girl closer and sneered at her. "That hurt."

"It was meant to." She spat back. The girl had some fire in her.

"I'll make you pay for that." The drunk raised his hand, obviously going to slap her back, but was stopped when he was kicked in the groin. Klaus winced. The drunk staggered and held his manhood and Klaus expected the girl to turn and flee, yet she did not. She dug a hand into her boot and pulled out a dagger and was dripping with some clear substance. Grabbing the man, the girl dragged him into an alley that wasn't too far away from them. Once hidden in the alley, the girl turned and looked at the man.

"How many women have you done that to?" she asked and Klaus sighed softly. She was one of those people that only killed the guilty ones. If only she could be more like him, killing people whether they were guilty or innocent.

"What are you going to do kill me?" the drunk asked, his eyes flickering between the girl and the dagger she was holding.

"Exactly," she smiled.

"You're mad aren't you?"

"Quite."

And then she killed the man without a struggle and Klaus decided that he need to know the girl that held a dagger in her boot, and with his birthday coming up maybe that wouldn't be such a hard task.

* * *

Keep scrubbing. Keep scrubbing. Maybe if you do you will scrub away our madness too, Carolina thought to herself. She was back in her room and she wanted nothing more than to scrub away her problems like dirt. She knew that she had killed a person. It was just that she couldn't help it. She suppressed her urges for so long that if she was alone with a person long enough then her urges would take over.

Bile had risen in her throat at the feeling of bliss that she had felt as she watched that poor man's life slip away. How was it possible that she could be content and then disgusted by herself in moments like those.

Carolina decided to focus on scrubbing the blood off her. She was just like her sister. The twisted, wicked thing her sister was. Her scrubbing slowed as Carolina remembered the moment her sister had showed her games that she had liked to play.

_[1489/France]_

" _Carolina, le jeter!" (Carolina, throw it!)_

_The man shackled to the ground (how had she even gotten this man? Carolina wondered) looked on in fear at the blonde and red headed girl that hovered above him. They both brandished long and freshly sharpened daggers. The red headed one had less daggers then the blonde because most of her daggers were making a home in his abdominal region._

_Carolina hesitated. This man could be someone's father or son. He may have a family._

_Carolina heard her sister sigh and take away the daggers in her hands. Carolina felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Carolina's sister looked at the fourteen year old Carolina with pity._

" _Il semble que la folie ne vous a pas encore compris," (It seems that the madness hasn't gotten you yet) she sighed sadly, but quickly perked up. "Mais ne vous inquiétez pas il sera bien assez tôt! Lorsque vous allumez dix-huit vous serez juste comme je suis maintenant! Quelle chance nous d'être né dans une famille avec un patrimoine comme celui-ci." (But don't worry it will soon enough! When you turn eighteen you'll be just like I am now! How fortunate are we to be born into a family with a heritage such as this.)_

_And Carolina stood there unsure if her sister was only jesting her or that every word that poured out her mouth was true._

Shaking her head, Carolina scrubbed her skin, but now harsher, scrubbing the skin till it was raw. Hopelessly thinking that maybe she wouldn't end up like her sister on the eve of her eighteenth birthday; that maybe she wasn't going mad; that maybe if she scrubbed hard enough she would be able to scrub away her sins.

But no matter how hard she scrubbed, she knew they would remain and cling to her like a second skin.

* * *

Katerina hated this part of the play; where she stood all alone on the stage and sang long, high notes that she couldn't even take deep breaths for. But it was all worth it in the end though, because when that crowd stood up and applauded her she felt like she was queen of the world. And then at the after party everyone would tell her about how she did such an amazing job and that she looked so beautiful. So, Katerina stood a little taller and stretched her lungs maker her voice boarder and when the curtain fell she smiled as she could not only hear the thunderous clapping, but feel it too.

~Later that night Katerina was surrounded by people complimenting her on her performance in the opera and about the beautiful dress that she was wearing (It was given to her by her client, but none need know that). It was a wonderful red colored dress with a square neck line that showed just enough cleavage to be seductive, but not unladylike. The corset was tied back with black silk ribbons and from the corset it flowed out from there.

Katerina knew that she looked beautiful and decided to flaunt it in hopes of catching more "suitors". She wasn't good with seduction (Carolina was better at it, but only because all she had to do was speak English with that accent of her's or say something in French and they were at her feet), but with a little practice she would better.

"Katerina," there behind her stood Carolina wearing a stunning green dress that made her eyes look turquoise. "Katerina, as always you did wonderful. Come John would like to have a word with you." Katerina shuddered and Katerina could tell that Carolina wasn't pleased either, but what could they do it was their job.

"I shall go see him as soon as possible," she said with a smile though on the inside she was cringing with disgust. Katerina then excused herself from her admirers and waltzed to the room where she usually made her clients wait for her. Opening the door she saw John sitting in one of the red arm chairs that were in the rooms.

John was a much built man. All board shoulders and muscle (she would know). He had green eyes and dark brown hair that reminded her of chocolate. He would be a very good suitor, but the sad fact was that he was very unappealing. His hair was greasy, as was his skin and he always smelled something absolutely horrid like rotting fish. It didn't help that he was too confident and nosy. His only saving grace was that he was rich.

"Katerina," John said as he looked at her. His eyes were lit like candles and he looked slightly nervous.

"You requested me John, and I am here. What is it that you wish to speak of?" her voice was cool and indifferent like it was whenever she talked to her clients. ( _One must never show emotion to her clients or else they think that we are getting attached,_ Katerina remembered. _We are a fantasy. We do not car or get attached. We just give them glimpses of unattainable dreams and desires._ ) Katerina went and laid herself in what she hoped was a seductive position on a couch.

"John," she sighed, "if you have nothing to say please do not waste my time. I am an exceedingly busy person." She was going to make her move to leave when John blocked her oath and held her by her shoulders and when Katerina looked up into his eyes her heart sank. His eyes were twin whirlpools stirring with emotions; lust, nervousness, adoration, and the worst emotion of all: love, were swirling in John's eyes and that made her displeased. The lust, nervousness, and adoration she could handle easily. It was the love that was going to cause problems with her.

"Katerina…when I first laid my eyes upon you, I was startled and enchanted by your beauty. I asked about you a lot and when I heard of your line of work I was absolutely horrified. A woman as beautiful as this should not be doing such vulgar work, was my first thought. Then I decided to become acquaintances with you by becoming one of your… 'Clients'. Each time I laid with you and spoke to you I became more enamored with you," John said then he let one hand off of her shoulder and fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a ring. "I…I want you to become my wife. I do not wish to see you give your body away any more for simple trinkets that do not bring you joy." And with that John presented her with a ring. It was a truly beautiful ring with a blue diamond in the center that was surrounded by small glittering diamonds.

Katerina's eye s flashed between the ring and the man that was offering the ring. His offer was so tempting and what he did say was the truth; she despised her job. Giving her body away to men that she barely knew that only gave her small things for her services. Though he was wrong about the small trinkets, she actually liked those things (Just proved how much that man proposing to her knew about her). However, she got this job for the lack of attachments, but right now John was attached when he shouldn't be (considering what she does he shouldn't even look at her at all).

"You do not speak and your eyes show that you are confused. Do you accept my proposal?"

 _No attachments._ "I do not speak because there is nothing to speak of," Katerina replied. Her posture showed confidence and her face showed indifference; the combination would make this silly infatuation crumble. "My eyes glow with interest not confusion. As for the offer I will have to ask if you are mad. I cannot marry you and leave Carolina. She is all I have her and leaving her all alone with a friend for comfort would be cruel and friends do not do that to each other. Besides, I like working here at the opera house." As Katerina spoke her mask of indifference slipped into a mask of amusement. She shrugged out of John's hold on her shoulder and sat in one of the arm chairs. The last sentence was a complete lie, but it was true what she said about leaving Carolina. She was all she had in England. Nothing more.

"You can bring Carolina with us. We can make room with her in our lives. Please just accept the ring." He tried shoving the ring onto her finger, but she just slapped his hand away. She _hated_ how he spoke as if they were already wed and she hated how he made Carolina sound like some unwanted guest. This was her friend that he spoke of and if they were not speaking about her in a kind way then they might as well not be speaking about her at all.

"John," Katerina said sternly. "I shall not marry you. Carolina would refuse to join us and you know that I will not leave her here alone. I apologize, but I cannot be your wife." Then she made her way to leave when—

**SMASH!**

Katerina was roughly thrown into an armchair. Her head was spinning and she was seeing double. John loomed above her and she held her head in her hand as she looked upward at him.

"You rather work at this…brothel rather than live a life of luxury with me! If you shall not come willingly then I shall have to force you to accept my hand in marriage. But first, consider this your last day on the job," he boomed.

"John? What are you talking about? Unhand—" Katerina started but quickly stopped as she saw John's face change. The whites of his eyes became clouded with red and spider like veins spread across his cheeks. Katerina gasped when he opened his mouth and reveal sharp fangs.

"Shh," He cooed as Katerina stared on in horror. "Don't scream." And when nothing came out of her mouth he sunk his fangs into her neck.

* * *

Carolina had been unhappy leaving Katerina with John, but rationalized that Katerina could keep herself safe and got over the petty fear that swirled in her stomach. So Carolina decided to walk the streets until nightfall.

The streets were not too crowded with people, but weren't absolutely deserted. Carolina loved when the town was like this and with her work not beginning until tomorrow it gave her just enough time to go sit in the secret part of the park that no one used.

The small meadow in the park was one of her most favorite places in the world. It was hard to believe that no one had discovered it yet. It was surrounded by small trees and was covered in flowers of all colors. When Carolina sat down there she felt like nothing could harm her ever again and this time around she felt no different until she heard someone.

"Such a pretty child," Carolina turned and saw a beautiful woman with long, unruly red hair and shiny blue eyes.

"Who are you?" Carolina asked, upset at being disrupted from enjoying her peace. The woman ignored her question and strode up to her to grasp Carolina's chin in her talon like hands. The woman squinted as she peered into Carolina's eyes.

"Such an amazing future I see. Love, longing, tragedy, and death…What a sad, but beautiful tale you shall be able to tell," the woman said as she looked. Carolina wiggled her head in her grasp, but that only made the woman's grip on her chin tighter. With fire in her eyes Carolina stared at the woman.

"What are you raving about you mad wench?" The woman chuckled and let go of her chin.

"I suppose only a mad person could identify another," the woman twirled away to the other side of the meadow so that she was near where the trees began. "I warn you because of what I have seen. Take your friends and leave England. Hide away in some other country before you both get yourselves killed."

"You truly are mad," Carolina said looking at the woman in amazement. The woman sighed and shrugged.

"No more then you." the she was gone.

Carolina sighed and rubbed her chin. _Leave England? What she has seen? Killed?_ Carolina wondered what was wrong with that woman, but couldn't help to think that maybe she could take heed of her warning.

"The only thing that could kill us would be me," Carolina sighed. How could anyone see the future? _Witch_ was what her mind wanted to say, but she stopped the thought. Witches were things of fairy tales. Just like Vampires and Werewolves. They were just things that parents told children to keep them in bed at night.

How wrong she was.

* * *

Katerina was packed her trunk and was currently packing Carolina's. Life was going to be great! She and John were going to be so happy and the Carolina would be living with them until she married her own Prince Charming! It was going to be perfect. Katerina stopped working just to admire the ring on her finger once more. She couldn't wait to see the look on Carolina's face once she got a look at it.

"Katerina, why are you packing my trunk?" she heard Carolina ask from behind her and Katerina turned with a big smile on her face that seemed to make Carolina's confused face deepen in intensity.

"Because we're leaving, my friend!" Katerina cheered.

"W-what?" Carolina sputtered and Katerina just showed her left hand to her and enjoyed the incredulous look on her face.

"Who are you getting married to?" Carolina squealed as she stared at the ring.

"John." And that was how Carolina stopped squealing and looked at her with an aghast and slightly disgusted look.

"John? ! He's…he's your client!"

"Yes, but he turns out to be very sweet and kind. If you say one bad word about him I won't let you accompany us to his home and you shall stay here in the opera house." Then Katerina turned and continued packing Carolina's bag. She heard Carolina sigh.

"I do not like the choice, but I will be happy for you none the less." Katerina squealed and turned around again to hug her friend and babble about the wonderful lives that they were going to have and John.

And Carolina just stood there and smiled and listened like a good friend would.

* * *

If there was one thing that Elijah hated about Klaus it was the way he killed people. When Klaus killed a person he had a tendency to _tear that person apart_. Blood and dismembered limbs would be lying everywhere and Elijah would say nothing and just look at Klaus, who would sneer at him and walk away. Leaving him to call the maids and make sure that they cleaned everything correctly.

So when Klaus walked into the sitting room last night and didn't bring some unfortunate soul with him to kill Elijah was surprised (but didn't show it because he couldn't afford Klaus to be able to know what he was thinking, _ever_ ) and asked his brother why he had not bought a human home with him.

"I was going to, but I was distracted," Klaus responded and Elijah noticed the amused twinkle in his brother's eyes.

"Hmm and what has distracted you so much that you didn't even finish your daily ritual?" Elijah asked as his curiosity was piqued.

"A girl; she was human and she had a dagger in her boot. She was different and interesting," Klaus said as he poured himself some wine.

"You didn't kill the girl, did you?" Elijah asked as he imagined a frail human girl being mauled by his brother.

"No, I did not, but I think that she would be a great vampire. You would say that too if you met the girl, 'Lijah."

"You speak as if you are going to see her again," Elijah could help but point out. Klaus thought about that and shrugged his shoulders.

"If I do I'll turn her. If I don't, oh well then. How does the search for the doppelganger fare?"

Elijah could feel Klaus's mood darkening and Elijah knew that tonight wasn't the night to dampen the mood; luckily he did have good news this time. "One of my men has spotted her."

Klaus smiled cheekily and tilted his head, "When can he get her?"

"He has already started to make moves to capture her."

"What would I do without you 'Lijah?" _Burn down villages_ , Elijah couldn't help thinking. "But never mind that, I'll soon be a hybrid and then we can take down Mikael. Then it will just like old times Elijah." Klaus then walked out of the room and left Elijah alone.

 _Just like old times_. _No, it would never be like that. I hasn't for a long time, Niklaus ,_ Elijah thought.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part One: Chapter Three**

" _ **Mysteries have their own mysteries, and there are gods above gods. We have ours, they have theirs. That is known as infinity."—Jean Cocteau.**_

* * *

**[1492/England]**

Katerina loved John. She was sure of it; every time she looked at the ring on her finger she felt so light like if she didn't have all these dresses weighing her down she could float away with the wind and never return. Elation and pride is what she felt when she looked at the ring and when she was with John. She felt as if her life could not get any better than that.

Then, why was it whenever she looked at the ring or John she felt in the back of her head as if this was wrong and she should be terrified. It was such a silly feeling. John would never hurt her; when he told her what he was of course she was scared, but it was still the same man that she fell in love with. That was also another problem, whenever she told him she loved him she didn't feel into it. Like her mouth said the words, but her minds wasn't fully behind the declaration.

Katerina stopped brushing her hair and looked at herself in the mirror. Here she was living in a beautiful manor that belonged to her fiancée and she was thinking ungrateful thoughts about how she felt when the words "I love you" came from her lips. Shaking her head Katerina continued to brush her hair.

She loved John. She loved a vampire. And she was going to marry said vampire and then spend eternity with him, because she loved him.

(Then why did those thoughts feel so wrong when they rolled across her mind?)

* * *

Carolina loved romance. As a child she would sit in the library and sit and hope that her prince would come with her fairy godmother and whisk her away to a world where there were no more tears or pain. There they would be happy and everyone would accept her despite her being slightly mad. Then she would be queen and have plenty of children that would run the kingdom when she and her husband retire and then she and her love would lie side by side as they died only to be reunited in heaven. It was an odd dream that she had, but it was a dream nonetheless.

At age ten, Carolina learned that dreams like that weren't possible and that things like fairies and unicorns and epic romances were all fake. But now, at age seventeen, watching her friend being courted by a monster she was starting to believe in all those things again.

Carolina had learned what John was by accident.

_[1492/John's Manor]_

_Carolina didn't like Katerina choice of fiancée. The man wasn't all that good looking and he was very stern and punishing. When Katerina accidently spilt some of her tea onto John's carpet, the man went into a rage and fire insult after insult to the poor girl. She cried for days._

_This was why Carolina didn't trust men. You give them your heart and they trample on it. Carolina learned that the hard way and she believed that Katerina did too, after the brief affair she had with Darius. However, the girl just didn't seem to learn._

_Carolina stalked down the hall silently as she shook her head at her friend's trust in the man. She sighed as she neared closer to her destination; the library. Carolina knew that as soon as night came John would lock himself in the library and never leave till the crack of dawn and she was going to find out why. Everyone refused to tell her, even Katerina who had refused straight away and told her not to worry about it. Sadly, Carolina was a nosy person and just wasn't used to being left out of something._

_Gossip and secrets was her specialty anyways._

_So when she cracked the door open fury surged through her veins. There sat John, in all his glory, with a girl servant that could be no older than eighteen. The girl was sitting on his lap, hands fisting his shirt as she moaned as John kissed her neck. Without a thought in the word Carolina threw the doors open and begun to tell him off._

" _How could you! Katerina is absolutely in love with you! She is giving everything to you despite her how her heart was broken before and you have the audacity to—oh, dear Lord!" Carolina shouted._

_During her rant John had turned around to look at her, but he wasn't the John that she was used to seeing. Blood covered his face and the whites of his eyes were red. Blackish-blue vein spread across his cheeks and long, pointed fangs that dripped with blood hung in his mouth. This wasn't the John that she was used to seeing and this certainly wasn't the John that Katerina was going to marry (at least she hoped not)._

_A horrified cry poured from Carolina's lips as her eyes flickered to the girl, whose head lolled to the side to reveal numerous bite marks all over her neck. Shaking in her boots, Carolina turned as quickly as she could and tried to run away, but was stopped when the doors were closed shut and John stood before her in all his bloody glory._

" _W-what are you?" Carolina murmured. John said nothing and just looked into his eyes. She was terrified. She could remember being told by her father that there were things out in the world that were stronger than humans and could easily destroy them. She could remember telling him that he was losing his mind if he believed that those things were real. If only she believed her father._

" _You will be quiet. You will not struggle," he commanded and Carolina would have scoffed at his commands if she wasn't so terrified. John's faces changed back into that horrible face that she saw at his study and he sunk his fangs into her neck. Carolina's first reaction was to scream at the pain, but nothing came out of her mouth and it was getting harder to breathe since John's teeth were buried in her windpipe. Gasping for breath Carolina started to struggle, but John grip tightened around her._

_Black spots were now decorating Carolina's vision and she couldn't tell if it was because of the blood she was losing or the lack of oxygen. She was just starting to feel faint when John pulled his teeth out of her. "Hmm. Your blood was delicious my dear, but not nearly as good as Katerina's. But don't tell her or anyone that this happened."_

_Carolina nodded, "I won't tell anyone." John then left her standing in the room weak kneed and wishing for death._

So here Carolina was stuck sitting in the manor of a monster and watching her friend making wedding preparations for that monster.

She did try to tell Carolina that her fiancée was a monster, but whenever she had tried her mouth would close or no words would come out of her mouth.

"Monsters hide behind every corner, 'Lina," her father would say. And now that she had an experience with one of those monsters Carolina could only feel frustrated with what her father had told her. What was the point in knowing that monsters existed if you could fight them off?

 _Ignorance truly is bliss_ , was all Carolina could think.

* * *

Elijah looked at Trevor who was looking at the ground. Hiding his emotions behind a mask of politeness and calm Elijah stared harder at Trevor, as if he was silently trying to kill the man who sat not even two feet away from him.

"What?"

Trevor flinched involuntarily and took a quick glance at the Original. He knew that the news that he was bringing would not bring him in favor with any of the Originals, but he couldn't keep stalling. There were only so many excuses one could come up with before they started to sound either repetitive or ridiculous.

"John has decided that he no longer wants to give us the doppelgänger, sir," Trevor repeated. He was thanking every deity that he knew that he was dealing the mild tempered Elijah and not the hot tempered Klaus. If he was Trevor would be dead by now.

"And why is that? Does he not know that consequences?" Elijah asked with a tilt of his head. Trevor felt as if he should shrug his shoulders, but knew nothing other than respect would get him out of this meeting alive.

"I-I am sure he does know the consequences sir, but I believe that he does this because he …disregards your position and the threat that you hold." Elijah nodded at his response and Trevor felt proud and slightly sick. He knew the way this conversation was going to end.

"I see. Trevor, I have decided that you have to go get the doppelgänger. You seem to be the only one that I can trust at the moment. Remember bring the doppelgänger back here by Niklaus's birthday or I will have to get her myself." It was a threat all wrapped up in the most polite manner, but the message was clear.

Get the doppelgänger before Klaus's birthday.

Klaus's birthday was in a week.

Trevor may only have a week to live, but look on the bright side. If he did succeed he'd have given the oldest vampire in the world the best birthday present ever.

* * *

The air was nice and the people were friendly, but nothing could shake the mood that Rose was in. Ever since her best friend Trevor had gotten them involved with the Originals the feeling of fear and dark anticipation wouldn't leave her. So Rose strolled through the park and tried to forget the horrible things that she was feeling.

Clutching her parasol closer to her Rose watched as children played at their mother's feet, marveling at what she would never have again. Family was never precious to her when she was a human, but now that she knew what she was missing out on she wanted it more than ever. Sure she may not have married someone that she cared about, but at least she would have a child that she could love and call her own.

God, she really needed more feminine companions that she could talk to about this sort of stuff.

"Excuse me miss?" Looking to her left Rose caught sight of a blonde girl, no older than seventeen looking at her. "Miss?"

"Yes, what can I help you with?" Rose asked. She could hear the blood pumping through the girl's veins and thanked that she had enough control not to pounce on the girl.

The girl seemed to smile in relief, "I need your assistance with finding the bakery. I am in charge of my friend's wedding cake." The girl's mouth twisted in revulsion at the mention of the wedding and Rose could assume that she did not approve her friend's choice.

"Yes…the bakery is much too far for me to tell you so you can come with me and I'll take you there myself." Rose grabbed the girl's hand and turned and started walked towards the exit to where her carriage waited.

"W-wait, there is no need for you to escort me there. I can try to find it on my own!" Carolina babbled, but Rose just laughed and shook her head.

"Nonsense, it is too far for you to walk. Anyways, I need company." Reaching the carriage, a footman opened the door and helped them in. Once told of their destination they set off.

"So," Rose said looking said looking somewhat excited. "Tell me about yourself."

* * *

" _Horas calmus tormus cadena. Hiel jo cal fera hormus malcalis."_

Feeling the magic swirling around her the witch continued her chant. " _Todas kimalo des spartus. Sparta tilmia mayid."_ The magic was working! She may actually get through this time! Confidence swirled around her as she repeated her chant. The more confidence that she felt she said the chanted with more bravado.

She could feel it now. The location of where they were was becoming much more clear and she could feel the blood moving across the map. Almost there.

The witch focused more, trying to clear the fog that was preventing her from finding the requested people. Suddenly, the witch felt the expect block and all the magic that she focused and controlled was suddenly dispersed, turning back into a mass of raw energy.

Sighing, the red headed witch scratched her head and sat down in the chair that was behind her. That was about the seventh time that she had tried and failed to find John's whereabouts. It was getting tiring and she could feel the exhaustion of using so much magic at once settling in.

"Well, did it work?" Lazily, turning her head she saw the hopeful face of Trevor peering at her. She sighed once more and put her head in her hands.

"I would have already told you John's whereabouts if it did," she replied as she looked at him through her fingers. Growling, Trevor got up; picked up the chair he was previously sitting on and launched it at the wall.

"Why isn't it working, Donatella?! You are one of the most powerful witches that I know and a simple tracking spell isn't working!" he growled. Donatella's eyes were moving between Trevor and her newly broken chair. Should she stake him now or later?

"He may have a witch that is blocking my spell. It is quite possible if you have the right tools," she said as she turned away from Trevor's temper tantrum and back to her grimoires. Is there a spell that could help her counter the spell that was preventing her from tracking John or away to track the witch with the need for her blood?

"If he has a witch that can counter your magic then I'm going to die by the end of the week." Trevor slumped against the wall and Donatella could only feel pity for him. Sure he was a blood sucking fiend and she hated his kind like she was supposed to, but Donatella could tell that if he's life wasn't at stake he wouldn't be searching for the doppelgänger at all.

"Do not fret. I will try to find the John and the doppelgänger." Too bad she had already told the doppelgänger's friend to flee the country. But this could be a good thing; her not being able to find John. The doppelgänger would live a long human life free of vampires, Klaus wouldn't break his curse and there would be one less vampire in the world.

In the end everybody wins!

* * *

Klaus was happy.

It was a very rare thing when he was happy. You could tell that he was happy, because of how his dimples showed more and how he only took three girls to his bedroom to feed instead of the usual five. And how he also went into town today. Klaus was happy for only three reasons.

Mikael hadn't been spotted in six months.

He just got a letter from Rebekah and Kol while they said in Greece.

And Elijah promised him that he would have his doppelgänger by his birthday!

Klaus smiled more and reveled in the way women, married or not, swooned when they saw him smile. He also enjoyed how men glared at him. If there was one thing Klaus liked it was his power over people, though it did get awfully tiring always being obeyed. It made Klaus sick to think about how spineless people are when they are faced with death.

Sighing, Klaus took out the letter that Rebekah had written to him.

_Dear Nik,_

_Greece is pleasant and the people here are absolutely delicious. We must come here more often. I have seen many things that I now purchased so you must make more room for all my new things. I have brought you and Elijah a present, but since your birthday is coming up I have gotten you two._

_Nik, I have been wondering why I cannot travel on my own. Elijah and Kol do it all the time, but it seems that I must be the one that has to be sheltered and nurtured like I am a child that needs to be coddled._

_I am over five hundred years old Nik, I think I can take care of myself. And, for the love of God, out of all our siblings that you chose to make sure nothing happens to me you chose Kol?! Nik when I return I will murder you because I cannot take this anymore. Every night a new whore is introduced to be before being whisked away to the confines of Kol's bed chamber._

_I know you must think that I am only being dramatic, but Nik if you heard the noise that come from that room you would be acting as I am right now. Screams that make my ears bleed come from Kol's room! Not even a wink of sleep can I get while lying in my own bed! I am now much too tired during the day to do anything, but try to sleep while I stand (though I try not to because then what will people think of me?)._

_I will be returning the day before your birthday so this will be my last letter to you._

_See you soon,_

_Bekah_

A smile always lit Klaus's face when he read of Kol's antics. Kol could be a fun person as long as his mischievousness wasn't directed towards you, that is. Klaus didn't notice where he was going until he bumped into someone, dropping Rebekah's letter.

"I am so sorry! I-I wasn't watching where I was going," the other person babbled while Klaus quickly got up and grabbed his letter.

"No harm done, love." He offered his hand and looked down at the person who crashed into him.

Klaus swore that today was his lucky day because the person who crashed into him was the girl who held a dagger in her boot. Lifting her off the ground Klaus shot her a charming smile. "Do you always crash into people?"

The girl blushed, but before she could answer a shout made her head turn. "Carolina!" Klaus could see Rose pushing through a crowd of people to get to her. Once Klaus was spotted Rose seemed a little more hesitant to approach them, but still did.

"Rose," Klaus said with a grin. "It's a pleasure seeing you here." Klaus had always like Rose she was a vampire that knew when to fight and when to surrender and he respected that and now she brought him the girl that Klaus was just dying to turn! Rose was becoming a very good asset at the moment.

"Yes. I was just showing Carolina the town," Rose said as her eye wavered between Klaus and Carolina.

"Pleasure to meet you. I am Carolina," the girl offered her his hand. And Klaus took it and bowed, keeping his eyes on her.

"Niklaus Mikaelson," he purred as his lips skimmed her hand. "The pleasure, I assure you is all mine." Carolina blushed, and Klaus knew he was going to have a lot of fun with her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part One: Chapter Four**

" _ **The flesh of the weak is eaten by the strong."—Unknown Author**_

* * *

**[1492/England]**

Carolina babbled on and on about how amazing he was and how charming he was. And Carolina was praying that Katerina was jealous because she met wonderful people today while she stayed home to watch how the wedding plans were going. The girls were now in Carolina's room and have been there since she had gotten home, babbling about the amazing man that she had met today.

"And Katerina you should have seen the way he was! So polite and charming and perfect! I know that I've been saying that he's perfect, but you must believe me! He was everything a woman could dream of!" Carolina said with a sigh. "And he was kind enough to invite me to his birthday! I mean he may have been doing it because I am friends with Rose and he was being polite, but this could be the start of me finding my own happily ever after! Can you imagine it? Me and you living in beautiful houses together and–" Carolina started talking in French like she usually did whenever she was really excited.

She knew that the girlish fantasies that she was entertaining at the moment were completely unrealistic, but she couldn't help herself. When a girl saw a handsome, rich, charming, man who wasn't even married she had to start sinking her claws into him before anyone else could! Klaus was damn near perfect and Carolina was willing to kill so that she could have him.

"Carolina I know that you're happy about this man, but what is he is already promised to another?"

Leave it to Katerina to bring reality into her fantasy. But she did have a point. What if he was already promised to another? What if he only saw her as Rose's friend? What if he thought her ugly and repulsive because she was French (because the French and the English have been at each other throats since the beginning of time and think they are better than the other)? There were so many things that could go wrong and make all of her fantasies nightmares and Carolina could feel all of her insecurities rising up again.

"Oh Lord, I pray that he isn't. I have just met him! I can't have already lost my chance!" And in that moment Carolina felt a burning hatred for Katerina and her soon to be perfect life. Katerina would be living in a beautiful manor with a rich husband and will have beautiful children while Carolina wasted away alone.

Sighing, Katerina looked up at her best friend, "Carolina since I love you like a sister. I will help you find out whether or not if he is betrothed. You said that he looked like he was a man of very high status, if so what is his name? There is always gossip that surrounds those that are high up in ranking."

"Oh his name? Niklaus Mikaelson," Carolina breathed as she swooned a little. Katerina froze at looked at her with a small glimmer of fear in her eyes.

"I have heard of that name. John has mentioned it once or twice."

"Really? John knows Klaus?" A sliver of fear ran down Carolina's spine. If John knew Klaus then nothing good could come from John associating with Klaus. She looked warily as Katerina seemed to think about what she was going to say next.

"John said that…nothing ever good happens to whoever associates with Klaus. He says that Klaus is a monster and that if we ever run across him to run in a different direction," Katerina said and looked at Carolina with a wary expression on her face. Carolina puffed out her cheeks in defiance. Katerina already has her happily ever after set up. Why should she be the one to wait for her own when a perfectly good man was standing right in front of her?

"You haven't even met him Katerina. All of this is just rumors and gossip. If you've met him you would see that he is nothing close to a monster. He's an absolute gentleman once you meet him." Carolina turned away from her and sat at her vanity. Brushing her hair she looked at Katerina through the mirror and still saw that wary expression on her face. "Will you stop worrying? Klaus is a gentleman and everything to you had heard so far is gossip; incessant gossip that goes from one mouth to the next. It is only true if you have witnessed it happening."

"But John said-"

"To hell with what John said! Katerina you have to choose who you are going to believe: your best friend who has been with you after your heart break? Or the mons—man that is soon to be your husband?" Katerina didn't answer and Carolina turned and looked on at her with a neutral look in her eyes. "One day Katerina. You must choose. I just hope you chose me."

Because best friends chose best friends over blood sucking fiends. And Katerina was going to do that for her because they were best friends…At least Carolina hoped so.

* * *

John sat quietly in his study. Fury seeped into his veins as he watched the girl cower in front of him. "What?"

The girl, no older then fourteen looked down shyly and stuttered out her reply. "T-they almost b-b-broke through. They may have found a weakness in the s-s-spell."

"Then find a way to strengthen the spell!"

"It isn't that simple, sir. T-the-" John slammed his hand down on his desk.

"Stop your damn stuttering girl and speak clearly!" he demanded. The poor witch shook and started to whimper, but quickly stopped when she remembered who she was in the presence of. Clearing her throat she tried to speak again.

"It isn't that simple, sir. The spell can only be strengthened so much before it is stretched too thin or begins to crack."

"Crack? What do you mean by that?"

"The spell, sir, is like glass. Stretch it too thin it breaks easily, but put too much pressure on it, it shall crack. If stretched too thin the spell will become useless and allow the other to penetrate easily, but still feel some resistance. Put too much power into it spaces or cracks will be left allowing others to enter without any problems and without my knowing. This is the best I can do while preventing the enemy from finding you."

Growling loudly, John pounded his hand against his desk, snapping it in half and making the girl jump in surprise. "Is there anything else you can do?"

The girl still looked down, but slouched into her seat. "With my experience, there is nothing I can do."

"Savannah Bennett there must be something that you can do." He growled at her. "You are one of the most promising witches of your generation there must be something you can do."

Shivering, Savannah looked up into the blazing eyes of John and looked back down into her hands that lay in her lap. "I had only been practicing magic for five years before you captured me and took me from my family. With my experience there is nothing more that I can do to help you anymore."

John cursed. He was going to be found and he was going to die. He almost ripped Savannah's head off because he swore that he saw the hint of a smirk on her face.

* * *

Klaus sat happily as he painted that afternoon. Everything that he wanted was going just as he wanted it to. Soon he was going to kill the doppelgänger and become a hybrid. Then he was going to kill Mikael and afterwards he was going to release Finn and for the rest of eternity they were going to be one big happy family just like he always dreamed.

Oh and how could he forget? He was going to turn that bubbly blonde into a vampire and teach her how to be just like him. Yes, it was confirmed after their first official meeting that the blonde would make great vampire material.

_[1492/Town Center]_

" _So Carolina, tell me what is a Frenchwoman doing here in England?" Klaus asked sociably._

_Carolina looked at him with surprised and Klaus chuckled. "You do have an accent, sweetheart." Was all that he supplied as an answer and Carolina blushed._

" _My best friend is getting married this week. I have to help make sure that everything goes swimmingly seeing as I am helping her out with the wedding. I just finished checking up on the cake," she said and Klaus could notice that with each word she hated the wedding or who was getting married._

" _I take it you do not like who your friend is promised to marry," he said. Carolina sighed and shook her head, making her blonde curls bounce._

" _He is one of the most vulgar things that may have set foot on this earth, but he makes my friend happy and that is all that really matters to me." Carolina sighed._

" _What about family? Do you have any siblings?"_

_Carolina froze, but a tense smile creeped up her face. "I once had a sister. She is gone now."_

_And with perfect fake sincerity Klaus spouted out an "I'm sorry for your lost", but Carolina shook her head. "No," she said. "Do not say that you're sorry. You didn't know her and didn't know she was dead. Anyways I don't need your pity more than I need anyone else's."_

_Klaus could feel Rose's eyes flicking between Carolina and him. Klaus tilted his head as an amused smiled crept up his face as she stuck out her chin and raised her head in that haughty way that he had seen Rebekah use thousands of times._

_If only the girl knew who he was. Then she wouldn't act haughty with him, but then again the way she acted offended at the thought that he pitied her was refreshing. Klaus chuckled as he looked at the blonde spitfire. "I see you have a sharp tongue. Be careful before it gets you into troubled," Klaus teased lightly._

_Carolina looked at him with eyes full of mirth, "Well what fun is life without trouble?" And that did it for Klaus. With that one statement it was like a challenge and since it had been so long since he has had once he decided to take it. She wanted adventure; life. She wanted the world at her feet and Klaus could help her with that._

_Still chucking he turned to Rose, who was looking at him with wide eyes for not killing the girl. "Rose, you must bring Carolina with you to my party. She will make it so much more amusing."_

_Fumbling with her words Rose gaped. "B-but sir are you sure that you want to invite her now? I-I mean your birthday is in a week and to have a new dress made and find jewelry could take hours!"_

" _Rose, take her to my party with you. She will make my party more lively. I can feel it." And the whole time he spoke the most intense stare was being thrown Carolina's way._

Rose had agreed to take Carolina to his party and he couldn't be more excited. Things were looking up for once and he could tell good things were coming his way.

Sighing, Klaus put down his paint brush and walked away back into his castle. Soon life would be perfect. And he couldn't help, but smile blissfully as he drained a maid dry.

* * *

"Donatella almost broke through this time. She was able to get the general area, but not the exact location of the where John and the doppelgänger are hiding." Rose looked at Trevor as he babbled happily about how he had almost found the doppelgänger. Rose tried her best to listen, but she was too worried about what would happen to her new friend now that Klaus had finally met her.

"And—Rose are you even listening to me?" Rose turned her head away from her reading and nodded before h=turning back to her book. Trevor sighed. "I am telling you that I won't die this week. I will be able to give Klaus the doppelgänger and we will forever be in his favor."

Rolling her eyes Rose just kept trying to read. "If you didn't get us involved with the Originals then you wouldn't have to worry about how you would get your head chopped off," Rose replied harshly. Trevor sighed.

"I apologize for getting you involved; that wasn't my intention. However, I am doing this for the better. If we are able to get the doppelgänger and give her to Klaus then we will be in favor of the strongest Original and be able to do anything without worry of the consequences. Can't you see that I am doing this for the better?" Trevor explained for what seemed to be the thousandth time. Rose shook her head and sighed. Getting up from her chair she started to leave the sitting room.

"I'm going out. I have to help a friend find a gown for Klaus's birthday party." Trevor made a funny face at her.

"Have fun." Rose had to suppress a sneer. She was helping her new friend pick out a dress for a man that would probably kill her as soon as they are alone. How, in any way, could that be fun?

* * *

Donatella sighed in exhaustion as she got up and decided to try one last time. She was going to find the doppelgänger and help her escape from the hell that was soon coming her way. As a servant of nature it seemed like the right thing to do.

Chanting, Donatella focused the last amount of energy she had into finding the whereabouts of John. At first she could feel nothing. She could feel the blood on the map not moving. Suddenly, a burst happened and the blood moved rapidly. The barrier that was preventing Donatella from finding the home was almost gone. When she felt some resistance Donatella focused all her energy onto pushing pass the haze.

 _Come on. Keeping pushing._ Donatella thought. Finally the haze left and Donatella finally saw where John was hiding. "Hiding in plain sight, eh? Who would have thought? I finally found you, doppelgänger." Grabbing her things Donatella went off to get the doppelgänger to leave the country. Sadly, unaware that Rose had seen everything.

* * *

Elijah never really enjoyed threating anyone. It was Kol and Klaus that enjoyed that. So when Trevor come into his study and told him that he was aware where the doppelgänger was he was happy that he wasn't going to have to kill anyone.

"And the doppelgänger, you are sure that she is in that location?" Elijah asked.

Trevor just beamed at him and nodded. "Yes, Donatella left so that she could see if it was true."

"Very well then, borrow some of my men and get the doppelgänger. Niklaus is getting impatient and I cannot hold him off until his birthday has come." Trevor nodded and walked off to do as he was told.

* * *

Katerina wandered around the house aimlessly. Carolina had thrown her out of her room after their conversation. Why couldn't Carolina see that what she was telling her is what John was telling her was the truth. Carolina could be so stubborn sometimes.

"They b-b-broke through! They are on their way right now! I can feel it!" Turning her head, Katerina looked at the door of her fiancée's study. Who broke through what?

"What?! How did this happen?" John's voice boomed. Katerina could practically taste the anger that was radiating off of him. Shuffling forward, Katerina peeked through the crack left between the doors. She saw John sitting in his desk and a small caramel colored girl sitting in a chair off to the side.

"I-I h-have no clue. I just laid down to r-rest and I felt them p-p-penetrate the b-barrier. I-I don't know if it was b-because of my state of rest or because I'm r-running out of energy." The girl spit out and John shot her a cutting look.

"Running out of power? You're a witch! Since when do you run out of power?" Katerina made a small gasp. Witch? That frail looking girl was a witch?

"It is taking a lot of power out of me to keep this spell up all day and night. It was bound to weaken at one point or another." Growling John got up and started pacing.

"They are on their way here and they are coming to kill her all just for _his_ selfish and petty reasons." John sneered. He kept pacing and Katerina observed that the silence was making the girl move nervous by the second. "Fine then, if they need her human, she shall be human no longer!" He walked to way Katerina was bent and listening and yanked the door open. Katerina scrambled away, but he grabbed her wrists in one hand and pulled her to him.

John then took his other wrist and Katerina screamed. She could see all the blood and the ripped veins and she gagged. John took advantage of her already open mouth and shoved his bloody wrist into her mouth. Katerina retched as the blood oozed down her throat. The girl was screaming at them. Yelling something about how it was against the balance of nature. _None of this was natural!_ Katerina thought.

Pulling his now healed hand away from her now bloody mouth, John smiled at her happily. "This is for the best, my darling," he said sweetly. Then he starts choking her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Part One: Chapter Five**

" _ **A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war and a time of peace."—Unknown Author**_

* * *

**[1492/England]**

_Air. Air. AIR!_

The burning that Katerina was feeling in her chest was horrible and almost crippling. She could feel her heart pounding and she felt as if it was trying to break through her chest. The blood rushing through her veins was no longer blood, but a liquid fire that grew hotter with each second she couldn't get oxygen into her lungs.

At first she has struggled against John's hold against her and tried to smack his hands away from her throat, but to no avail. Katerina's eyes wandered to the girl- the witch- that was in the room with her. She was still screaming and still had that horrified look on her face. Why wasn't she trying to get help?

Her vision was tunneling and as she looked up at the face of the man she thought she loved and wondering why he was doing this. If he truly cared about her she would have never touched her like this, with such murderous intent. And just when Katerina thought she was going to pass out John let her go and she sucked in a large breath.

"How dare you! You cannot turn the doppelganger! There are already enough of you blood sucking fiends, the world has no need for another." Katerina looked at the door and she saw a red headed woman walk into the room. She was dressed elegantly and Katerina, who was currently not in her right state of mind, wondered if she was a princess. "She is lucky that I decided to come when I did. John what were you thinking?"

Katerina heard a whimper of pain that she wanted to assume was John. "I didn't want Klaus to get to her. I didn't want her to die." John's hoarse voice whispered. The red head started to say something, but Katerina's mind was covered by a sleepy haze that she quickly succumbed to.

* * *

Trevor was giddy with excitement. Sure Donatella did betray him, but Rose had caught her in her infidelity and had quickly warned him of what she was so obviously planning. Wiping a stray hair away from his eyes he smiled as he mounted his horse.

"Everyone!" he shouted. All of the vampires turned their full attention to him and he squirmed lightly from all the eyes. "We are leaving to find the Petrova doppelgänger, so everything must go seamlessly. If anything goes wrong then Elijah, and furthermore Klaus will have our heads. Is this understood?"

The mean nodded their head in understanding and Trevor could spot the slight fear in their eyes. Of course mentioning Klaus would make them understand that the importance of the mission. "Okay then, everyone we leave now." Nudging his horse, Trevor rode off, knowing that the doppelgänger would be riding back with him in a matter of moments.

* * *

Rose had been in the dress shop with Carolina for hours and they were still trying to choose which fabric Carolina's dress should be. Luckily, Rose was able to help Carolina narrow the choosing down to two different dresses. Carolina now had to choose between a deep ocean blue color with gold stitching or a bright crimson color with blue stitching.

"I think that you should choose the red one," Rose suggested. "It will make your eyes look darker and like make your hair look more golden then it already does."

"Yes, but it will also make my skin look pale and make me have to pinch my cheeks more to give them color," Carolina complained.

Rose sighed, "Then chose the blue." Carolina turned to her with a pout and crossed her arms.

"Rose, I need you to take this seriously. Klaus is of high standing and I know that going to parties such as this may be something of a habit to you, but this is a completely new this for me. I want to make a good impression," Carolina whined. Rose knew what she meant, but she just didn't like the person she was trying to make an impression on.

"I understand my friend, but you must understand that I do not understand why you must try so hard on choosing fabrics."

"Because I want to look good. My mother always told me that the first things people see are your looks and that they will first judge your character based on your looks then on your personality. And I intend to impress everyone with both," Carolina said with a determined look in her eyes.

Rose chuckled and Carolina pouted at her. "I know that it sounds silly, but I have been dreaming of things like this since I was a child," Carolina said as she looked at the two choices in her hands again. "I always wanted to be invited to things like this. I thought it would be my shining moment, when I was finally the shining star. Childish, I know, but I can't help but hope a little bit." Rose said nothing and just looked at her new friend.

She wished for those same things when she was a human. Being the one everyone was looking and talking about. Rose had once wanted to be the belle of the ball too and what girl didn't? The dream may be silly, but when the offer came why waste it; even if your prince was going to murder you.

"I understand, but I still think you should go with the red one." Carolina laughed and Rose smiled. She could at least give Carolina this small little thing before Klaus killed her.

* * *

Donatella released the spell that was causing John pain and walked over to Savannah. "Wake the girl up and tell her to forget this whole thing now!" Donatella commanded. John growled, but did as she asked. "You," she said turning to face Savannah. "You must leave immediately. More of his kind are coming and they are much more vicious then he is. You must grab all your belongings and run from this place." Donatella was slowly dragging the girl towards the door. "Go now!" And with that Savannah was out of the room and hopefully she would heed her advice unlike the doppelgänger and her friend.

Turning back to Katerina who was currently being compelled Donatella felt a little bad about taking away the girls memories, but she wouldn't allow anyone to be horribly scarred by the fact that they were almost murdered. "Compel her to sleep as well."

John huffed, but did as she asked. "So they have found this place," John said with a sigh. "I thought that I would have more time to hide the girl or maybe change her." John walked over to his desk and dropped himself into the chair. Donatella sneered at him.

"They would have found you with or without my help. You may have had a witch protecting you, and maybe some vampire, but those defenses were useless against me what made you think that it would stop Klaus's army of vampires?"

"You cannot blame me for hoping."

"There is no hope for the likes of you," Donatella spit out. John chuckled, but still sounded downtrodden. Donatella went over and sat on the chair that Savannah previously occupied. "How many witches do you have left here?"

"About nine or ten are left now that you have let Savannah go. I honestly don't see the point of them anymore now that the most powerful one out of them all is gone." The room was then caught in a long silence. For twenty minutes they sat there with nothing to say. John called in some manservants that lifted Katerina away and put her in her room, but that was the thing done, until John froze.

"They're here." He announced.

* * *

"No! Please tell me this cannot be true. He can't be dead! Please he can't be!" Katerina howled as she clinged to Carolina's dress. Tears were rolling down her cheeks like a water fall and Carolina couldn't help, but feel guilty.

Here her best friend was crying over her lost love and here she was rejoicing the fact that he had just died. Katerina had honestly loved that monster, but maybe he was only a monster to others not to Katerina.

Patting her best friends back, Carolina leaned forward a little bit as she hugged the girl who was hugging her waist. "It's okay Katerina. John wouldn't have wanted you to suffer like this. He would have wanted you to be happy and enjoy the rest of your life," Carolina murmured into her hair.

"Why? Why does misfortune seem to follow me?" Katerina cried out. Servants were walking by the room wincing when they heard the girl's screams of anguish. Carolina felt pity swell in her heart as she knew that Katerina was not only talking about her failing love life, but also her stolen daughter.

"I do not know, but they say that misfortune seeks the strong willed. You will make it through this, just like you did those other times. And I will be with you every step of the way." Carolina said as she pet her friend's hair.

"You are the only one that has left me yet. Promise me that you will never leave me." Katerina was looking up at her with eyes full of hope that Carolina couldn't bear to tell her anything bad.

"I promise, Katerina, to always be by your side," Carolina swore. She couldn't bear to say that by her eighteenth birthday that she may be there in body, but she wouldn't be mentally.

* * *

The whole way home Trevor and the rest of his men were laughing up a storm.

"Did you see her face?" one said.

"Yes!" another jeered. "Priceless! If only she knew!"

Another bout of laughter went around and Trevor was sure that he would fall off his horse. They were laughing about how the doppelgänger had reacted when they told her that her beloved John had died because he had a "heart problem". In honest, Trevor had ripped out his heart; that was what made the whole thing so funny. But throughout all the laughter Trevor couldn't help but feel a little bit of regret.

The doppelgänger was much more beautiful than he expected and the face she had made when she was about to cry was enough to make even Trevor, who had enjoyed killing John feel a little guilty.

_[1492/John's Manor]_

_John's heart was disposed of and now all they had to do was wait for the doppelg_ _ä_ _nger to wake up so that they could make a convincing lie so that they could get her to stay with Trevor until the day of Klaus's birthday party._

_Trevor was giddy with excitement, but was also struck with awe at the way the doppelg_ _ä_ _nger looked. Olive toned skin, long eye lashed, narrow nose, and chocolate curls that cascaded down her back; the girl was a sight to behold. When, she started to stir Trevor sent the rest of the men out of the room saying that it would be very unsettling for the girl to find ten men looming over her when she woke up._

" _Who are you?" was the first thing that she had asked when she woke up. Trevor smiled softly at her and walked over to her._

" _My name is Trevor. I am a friend of John's. I just arrived to visit when…" he trailed off knowing that her curiosity would lead her to ask what had happened to him. She didn't fail to follow the unspoken script that Trevor was following._

" _What? What has happened to John? Is he injured?" she asked, her voice going up a few octaves._

" _Miss, I am sorry to inform you that…John has passed away." Trevor bowed his head in a show of respect when he actually was laughing loudly on the inside. The over men outside were trying to stifle their laughter._

" _What? No…he can't be. He can't be dead. Please tell me you are jesting." Her eyes were brimming with tears and that made him feel a little guilty. The girl clearly cared for John._

" _Miss, I am sorry I never caught your name."_

" _Katerina; my name is Katerina Petrova."_

" _Yes, Miss I am sorry to be the one to tell you this, but he is dead. He has been sick for a very long time now and we assume that it was the sickness that has killed him." Katerina shifted on the bed so that she was now sitting. She put her head in her hands._

" _A sickness; he was ill and he never told me about it. Why?" Trevor could smell the salt water tears from where he was standing and decided that he was not going to stay to hear the girl cry._

" _He probably didn't want to upset you with the knowledge that his time was limited." Most of the men left by now and went to go guffaw where Katerina could hear them. John's time on this planet was unlimited and the moment that he decided to keep the doppelg_ _ä_ _nger was the moment he became limited._

_Trevor got on one knee and took one of her hands. She looked up at him and Trevor took this moment to compel her. "You will come live with me at my home. If anyone asks you will tell them that the death of John made you wish for a change of scenery." Katerina nodded and Trevor then bid her farewell, feeling slightly guilty, but deciding that he would get over it soon enough._

The feeling of guilt hadn't gone away yet, but Trevor just laughed continued to ride his horse. He couldn't wait to tell Elijah and Rose the good news. And hand Klaus a traitor.

* * *

"Again."

Donatella let out a cry of pain as she stabbed herself again in her stomach. And mixture of blood and spittle shot out from her mouth as she looked at Klaus with pleading eyes. She was compelled to do this as many times as Klaus told her to. The worst part was that he wouldn't let her die. Whenever he saw her waver in the slightest he would shove his bloody wrist into her mouth and force her to take mouthfuls of it until her wounds had healed completely. Then he would torture her so more and the process would start all over again.

"Please," she whimpered. "Stop this please." Klaus shot her a dark look and chuckled lowly.

"Tell me why in the world I would do that. I can't kill you because I need you in order to break my curse, but what is preventing me from torturing you a little bit for almost betraying me. Again." A horse scream ripped through Donatella throat as she shoved the knife into her body only to roughly yank it back out.

"I am sorry. Please Klaus. I will do anything. Just stop this." Klaus tilted his head and seem to ponder her offer.

"Anything? Will you allow me to use any of your family members whenever I need them? Will you always allow your bloodline to aid me whenever I need it?" Donatella mustered up a glare.

"No."

Klaus smirked, "Then I guess you must suffer a little while longer. Place the knife above your chest, but not close to your heart." Donatella's breathing accelerated as she looked at Klaus pleadingly. "Now stab yourself."

Donatella let out a scream, but it was cut off as she choked on her own blood. "Fine," she screamed as she pulled the knife out. "Use my bloodline however you wish, just stop this suffering!" Klaus flashed a dimpled smile at her as she went to the door to leave.

"Again." Donatella was sure she was incapable of screaming any louder.

* * *

"Were moving again?" Katerina huffed as Carolina fussed once more.

"Yes. John's friend offered us a place to stay at his home," Katerina said and Carolina shot her another disbelieving look.

"We're moving again, not to mention we're moving in with a man that you've just met!" Carolina shouted as Katerina shoved her dresses into a trunk. She didn't understand why Carolina couldn't just be happy that they were offered another place to stay. "What if he just wants to try to sleep with you?"

Katerina turned to her best friend with eyes full of fury. "Why can't you just be happy? You never liked John and we're leaving his manor so why are you being like this?"

Carolina shot her friend a worried look, "I am worried about you. You loved John. I do not understand why you would be so quick to leave to place where you were to spend the rest of your lives together."

Katerina sighed and sat on the floor. _Change of scenery,_ was what her mind whispered to her, but it didn't feel right; like the thought wasn't her own. "I just, don't want to be haunted by his memory. I know he wouldn't want me to cry over him for the rest of my life. I think in order to move on I need a little change of scenery."

Carolina smiled softly at her and wrapped Katerina in a hug. "If that is what you think you need then I am going to support you."

 _I need a change of scenery._ Katerina reassured herself. _I need this._

* * *

"You invited the doppelgänger to stay at our home? Trevor do you know what will happen to us if anything happen to her while she stays here! We could be killed!" Rose shouted. "Klaus will be sure to make it painful."

Trevor nodded, but Rose knew that he wasn't listening to her. "That is why one of us will always be with her. Anyhow who would want to kill the doppelgänger knowing that Klaus wants her more than anything?"

Rose made a noise of exasperation. "Some days I wonder why I turned you." Trevor threw her a grin.

"You turned me because we're the best of friends and you don't know what you would do without me." Rose smiled. She would have to do a lot of things to get them out of the mess that Trevor put them in, but what are best friends for.

* * *

Savannah's carriage was still rolling by as she watched the scenery pass by. That red headed witch had helped her run away leaving her at the mercy of the vampires that she claimed were worse than John.

John hadn't always been nice, yelling at her and making threats, but he knew that if he followed through with those threats that she would have never helped him ever again. So at best John was tolerable. These vampires that were supposedly worse than John, how bad could they actually be?

Savannah was left to imagine. She could imagine vicious beasts that cared for no one, but themselves; blood sucking monsters that manipulated people for their own personal gain. This was what Savannah thought of now that she had lived with vampires.

"Beast," she murmured. "They are all beasts."

And so Savannah Bennett decided to pass down the tale of how vampires, the abomination of nature, were nothing more than manipulative animals that would only ruin your lives and take your innocence. That would be told to all witches that now came to into the Bennett bloodline and would be reinforced with the death of Emily Bennett.

 _Vampires and Witches cannot co-exist._ Savannah now knew this as a fact.


	6. Chapter 6

**Part One: Chapter Six**

" _ **After bitterness comes the sweet."—Unknown Author**_

* * *

**[1492/England]**

"Miss Petrova, you never told me that someone would be accompanying you." A confused looking Trevor stood before a calm looking Katerina. Trevor was confused when he had seen a beautiful blonde woman walking towards with Katerina. So he had done the most reasonable thing that he could think of and asked if he could talk to Katerina in private to ask her about her companion. "If you wanted a personal maiden I could have provided you with one."

Katerina shot him a look and looked offended. What did he say wrong? "Carolina is _not_ my servant. She is my best friend; where ever I go, she goes and it is the same for me. If you have a problem with her presence I can always go back to living in John's manor."

Trevor's eyes widened as he looked at her with surprise. Was she resisting the compulsion for her friend? "No, no of course not. I just wished that you had warned me before hand." Katerina looked apologetic.

"I am sorry if I have caused you any inconveniences with bringing Carolina unannounced."

Trevor smiled tensely, "No. No problem at all."

* * *

Carolina sat drowning in jealousy.

How come Katerina always got invited to places by people of high status? Wasn't Carolina the one that worked extra hard to attract people at the opera house? Wasn't Carolina the one that had the most clients (but still had less money and pretty things then Katerina)? How was it that Katerina was the one that got everything handed to her and yet, Carolina had to work for everything good?

It just wasn't fair.

Stomping down the halls, Carolina stewed in her jealousy. She had said that she wanted to explore their new home when Trevor had pulled Katerina aside. So Carolina decided that stomping around in her new home would get rid of the burning jealousy that bubbled in her stomach.

"Carolina? W-what are you doing here?" Turning, Carolina saw her new friend Rose standing at the end of the hall (which wasn't very far). Rose was supposed to meet her today at the park and they would choose some accessories to go with her dress. "How did you even find this place?"

Carolina shook her head and chuckled. "My best friend, the one I always tell you about, was invited to come and live here since her fiancée died. And since we always go everywhere together…" Rose nodded and a pregnant pause washed over them.

"What's wrong, Carolina?" Rose asked and Carolina sighed. In the duration of their friendship Rose had somehow learned how to easily see through all of Carolina's moods. On Rose's part it was actually very simple; Carolina wore her heart on her sleeve.

"Katerina has always been…better. Since the day I met her everyone seemed to like her better than I. I understood when we first met because she was in a difficult situation that needed to be watched, but now…I wonder sometimes if I can compete with Katerina," Carolina said while looking at the ground. She wondered why she was telling Rose this. She would probably think that she was just a spoiled brat that needed to get over herself. But she felt an arm loop through her own and looked up to see Rose smiling down at her.

"Then I suggest that we go shopping as soon as possible. If you wish to impress Klaus you must have some gorgeous accessories," Rose chirped. Carolina gave her a watery smile, but still march towards the nearest exit and towards the carriage.

* * *

"No put the picture over there near the ballroom," Elijah commanded and the servant weakly nodded at him before scurrying off to do as he was told. Elijah huffed a little and walked towards the ballroom to see how the decorations for the ballroom were coming along.

"'Lijah have you ever thought of taking a break? Maybe having a drink or two?" Sighing and the overly cocky tone, Elijah threw an exasperated look at his youngest brother Kol. Kol's already large smirk grew twice in size. "Miss me, 'Lijah?"

Rolling his eyes, Elijah kept making his way towards the ballroom and knowing Kol he would too just to annoy him. "Not really. I thought you and Bekah would be gone until after the sacrifice."

He was sure the Kol's animosity could be felt for miles. "And we would be, but Bekah wanted to be here for Klaus's moment of 'crowning achievement' or whatever that is. She wouldn't stop badgering me about it. If it was up to me we would still be in Greece."

Walking through the threshold of the ballroom, Elijah resisted the urge to sigh. "Brother you must get over this hatred you have for Klaus. He is just trying to complete himself," Elijah stated as he gazed at a picture that he thought was crooked.

"I don't hate Klaus, but I do not wish to hear Klaus ramble about how amazing it will be when he is more powerful than the rest of us. Why is it that you wish to allow our brother, who you know has a short fuse, become more powerful than we are? You know he is already more powerful than us now, being immune to the dagger, so why the need for more power?"

"Klaus can be as powerful as he wishes. If it makes him happy then he should. Esther abandoned him and Mikael detests him. Do you not believe that he deserves but a small bit of happiness every now and again?" Elijah asks as he turned to his brother.

"Oh course I do, he is my brother. I just don't like the thought of the brother with a temper should be the one to receive all that power," Kol said, gazing around the elegant ballroom.

Elijah raised a brow, "And you believe that you should receive that power?" God, a world where Kol was the most powerful one out of all of them would be hell.

"I never said that."

"It was implied." Elijah turned back to the picture and Kol frowned.

Starting to walk away, Kol said to his brother, "You are such a bore 'Lijah. I just wanted to just with you and you manage to make this a serious conversation. Come speak with me when you want to be wild."

"Hmm," was all Elijah said in reply, never once turning away from the picture. When Elijah heard the bang that came with the ballroom doors shutting Elijah righted the picture.

Everything must be perfect for the next month.

* * *

"A ball? You want me to go to a ball with you?"

Trevor smiled at her as they sat sipping tea in the sitting room. "Why of course. Wouldn't that be nice?" Katerina just looked at him funny and when she did Trevor had to suppress the urge to fawn over how adorable she looked. What was wrong with him lately?

"This birthday ball that you want me to attend; do you not think that you may have told me a little late? You said that the ball was in less than five days." Katerina said and Trevor felt like slapping someone. What was it with girls and timing? Shouldn't they be jumping for joy when they are invited to a party as exclusive as this?

"That is of no matter. We can have a dress made for you in two and adjustments done in one sitting. Please you must attend, Rose is going with her friend and I will be alone." Trevor said playing the pity card. Katerina resolve wavered as she heard Trevor's plea.

"I do not know." Trevor sighed and placed a dejected look on his face and Katerina's eyes shone with guilt. Trevor's heart was beginning to fill with guilt at always compelling the poor girl to do as he asked her to, but he shook off the thought. He usually felt nothing when he compelled people. Why would he feel any different now?

"Fine," he heard Katerina whispered. "I will go with you." Trevor's face brightened.

"Excellent. Go to the seamstress today or the next and get yourself fitted and choose the fabric. I promise you Katerina you will have so much fun at this party."

He forgot to mention that it would be her last.

* * *

_SMACK!_

Donatella's cheeks were stinging and were red with hand prints. Her mother was looming above her; letting out huffs of anger. "You stupid whore!" her mother shouted as she landed another slap on her cheek.

A small yelp of pain came from her lips and Donatella felt ashamed of herself. Did she not just survive being tortured by Klaus, well known around the world for being the most ruthless being on the planet? "Mama, I am sorry. He caught me in a moment of weakness."

Another vicious slap landed on her cheek as her mother let out a small shout of rage. "A moment of weakness!? No, daughter, he made you weak! You submitted to an abomination! Did this moment of weakness, how to involve the rest of your family!? Did this moment of weakness how to involve the freedom of our descendants!?"

Donatella whimpered at the harsh words that were being thrown at her, but she knew that each word was true. She could have offered anything, but Klaus had already heard her to agree with his terms. And Klaus would always have a need for witches for as long as he wandered this earth.

"You. Are. A. Disgrace." Her mother screamed and each word was treated like a sentence and was accompanied with a hard slap that made Donatella's head turn. "And you are no daughter of mine!"

Crying and holding both of her cheeks Donatella sat on the dusty ground of her mother's home and started to beg. "Mother please! I-I can fix this. If I help him become a hybrid then he will have no need for the use of our bloodline. Our descendants will be safe!"

Her mother scoffed and crossed her arms. "No you suggest helping the abomination become a demon! You are no daughter of mine! No daughter of mine would do anything like this to this family. Leave and never return! You have already sold yourself to the devil!"

And so she was roughly shoved out of her mother's home. The home her mother got to be close to her. Family was all Donatella had left. She had gone to her mother's house to speak to her mother about her rash decision and now she finds herself losing the only thing she had left.

Klaus has taken everything and has left her with nothing, but a void.

Numb and mute, Donatella walked towards her carriage. Her tears had stopped now and all she was looking forward to was going to Klaus's castle and finishing the job she was assigned and receiving her pay.

If she had nothing, she could always buy something to replace it.

* * *

Twirling around, Carolina admired her dress. It was official and unanimous; red was a good looking color on her and she would definitely where it more often.

She loved the way that the silk fabric felt across her skin and even though uncomfortable, Carolina relish the itch that the black lace that lined the dress scraped across her chest. The dress was perfect and caused minimal discomfort. Carolina saw the seamstress smile from the corner of her eye.

"If I do say so myself Miss, you look stunning," the seamstress, who was a meek little woman, murmured. Rose was smiling right behind her, but Carolina could easily spot the sadness and slight worry that glimmer on her face every time she thought no one saw.

"Hm, yes she does look good. How much for the dress?" Rose said. The seamstress named the price and Carolina quickly paid though Rose did offer to pay for the dress herself. They quickly got out of the shop and decided to stroll around town for a little while. When they reached the park Carolina could not bear the silence any longer.

"Rose is something the matter?" she asked shyly. Rose shook her head.

"No. Everything is just fine; perfect," Rose said and shot her a smile. But Carolina wasn't believing a word that dropped from her lips. Carolina herself was an expert at faking happiness and Rose was doing just that. Narrowing her eyes at her latest friend she jumped in front of Rose and starting assessing her.

"Do not lie to me Rose. We have been friends for only, but a little while. However, I can tell when one lies to me. Tell me what is it that ails you." Rose seemed to think this over, sighing in defeat knowing that if she resisted Carolina would only prod more. Carolina smiled and brought them towards a bench.

"I do not think that you should go meet with Klaus," Rose blurted out as soon as they had sat down. Carolina shot her an odd look that made Rose fiddle with her skirt. "It is because…Klaus doesn't have the best reputation and-"

"Wait, you aren't going to tell me the same thing that Katerina told me. I do not care that his reputation may be bad. I haven't even heard of any of the things that he has done. Anyway, it is none of my business to search into his past." Carolina stated slightly angry. What was so bad about Klaus that everyone had to bother her about it? The man was the perfect gentleman!

"Please, Carolina hear me out. Klaus has a reputation for doing things that are unspeakable. And he has a reputation for sleeping with the prettiest girl he sees. I just do not want you to get hurt," Rose pleaded.

Carolina, though touched by the thought that Rose was looking out for her, did not appreciate that fact that everyone was trying to dissuade her from meeting Klaus. Getting up, she turned toward Rose, crossed her arms, and stomped her foot as a child would. "I do not like how everyone is trying to convince me that Klaus is anything, but a gentleman! I shall meet him at the ball whether you agree to it or not."

Rose sighed, "Carolina-" But Carolina was already stomping away. "Where are you going? The carriage is the other way?!" Rose shouted after her.

"I'll walk home!" And she did.

* * *

_He could feel it._

_The power rushing through his veins; the power that had been rightfully_ _**HIS** _ _. Klaus laughed happily. This power was all his. It was his birthright. His mother was wrong to try and take away his birthright._

_Smiling, Klaus ran faster. The moon was hitting his eyes at the right angle so that whenever the moon light peeked through the trees his eyes glowed._

_Klaus finally stopped running and sat down. With this power he could kill Mikael and then he could create a hybrid army and then he could undagger Finn and they could all live happily together for the rest of eternity._

_Maybe Klaus could even find someone to love him and he in return._

_Tilting back, Klaus raised his muzzle towards the moon and let out a ghostly howl._

Klaus shot out of bed. It was that dream again. The dream he had been having since he learned that the doppelganger had appeared. It had been recurring more often now that his birthday had been nearing.

Klaus scratched at his skin furiously. Whenever he had that dream he always felt something in him trying to come out; screaming for release.

Looking out his window and looking at the new moon. Klaus smirked.

"Soon I will be as full as the moon."


	7. Chapter 7

Part One: Chapter Seven

"Make no friends with those given to anger, and do not associate with hot heads, or you may learn their ways and entangle yourself in a snare."—Unknown Author

Klaus hated parties.

What was the point of preparing something for weeks and months only for it to last a couple of hours? But Rebekah seemed to enjoy these parties and that was the only reason he (read: Elijah) threw these things together.

However this party that he was throwing was different. This was the party where he would sweep the doppelgänger off her feet and also where he would meet the alluring Carolina once more.

The blonde haired girl had been on Klaus's mind since he had officially met her. She looked so innocent and caring, but Klaus knew that it was all a façade that she put up. He had seen what she had done to that drunkard. She would be the perfect vampire and Klaus wanted to be the one that took credit for creating such a beautiful monster.

Well, he would make her a vampire once he was finally done becoming a hybrid. Chuckling darkly at his plans, Klaus straightened his tunic. He had women to woo.

No, her smile seemed too fake.

Carolina pinched her cheeks roughly, and tried smiling wider. No, the smile still seemed forced and fake. That was not going to impress Klaus. Make the smile look genuine.

Everything, her dress, the way her hair was done; was all to impress Klaus. She liked what saw so now she wanted him to think the same of her. She wanted Klaus to pay attention to her and not Katerina since she already had everyone doing that.

Sometimes she wondered why she even bothered bringing Katerina along, but then Carolina would feel guilty even thinking such a thing and would look down shamefully.

Carolina picked up her brush and smiled as she brushed her hair. Tonight was her night. She was the one who had prepared longer than Katerina had; she was the one who had spent days with Rose practicing her crusty and what she would say.

Tonight was her night and she was going to make it the best night of her life.

Rose popped her head in and her hair was done in a brilliant up-do that Carolina had done herself. "Carolina we are living in a moment."

Smiling at her friend Carolina sighed happily. "I will be only, but a moment." And Rose left her room.

Carolina took the moment to give herself one last look. Her dress was a deep red with gold stitchings (Rose had changed it from the blue that it originally was) and had long bell selves that had golden embroideries stitched into it. The corset hugged Carolina's chest tightly (but not tight enough to choke her) and pushed her breast closer together giving her more cleavage then she already possessed. The black lace that lined her chest was uncomfortable, but made the dress look amazing. The skirt was long and flowing and unique from all the other dresses that she was sure to see because of the intricate butterfly that was stitched nicely into the skirt's hem.

Her hair was done up in a ponytail by a butterfly clip that made her many curls tumble down to the small of her back. Her cheeks were flushed from all her pinching and her lips were a shade of pinkish-red that they got when she bit her lip a lot.

She looked okay by her standard but she hoped by Klaus's standard it was stunning; beautiful; ravishing. She wanted to become his everything a single night.

"Carolina!" Trevor yelled for her.

"I am coming!" she yelled back and gave herself one look in the mirror.

Smile you have a party to attend.

Rebekah loved these types of parties.

She was everyone's center of attention because she was either an Original or people just thought she was beautiful. It was fun knowing that she was everyone's center of attention and she would enjoy it until that damnable doppelgänger came and ruined everything for her.

When the doppelgänger did arrive she came too early (Klaus wasn't even there at his own birthday party yet and Rebekah had the urge to roll her eyes) and she brought another girl with her.

Rebekah had seen the doppelgänger when she was dancing with some Duke. The doppelgänger had been standing with Trevor and a circle with some other men smiling cutely and talking in a voice that reminded Rebekah too much of Tatia.

This doppelgänger had looked exactly like Tatia! Rebekah knew that she would but Rebekah had expected some sort of difference somehow. Not an exact replication.

Rebekah quickly finished the dance with the Duke of where ever and went closer to the doppelgänger. Same hair, same face, same voice; everything was just like what Tatia! Rebekah eavesdropped on the conversion that the girl was having with Trevor.

"I do believe that the lord of this home would be delighted in meeting you," Trevor said and Rebekah gagged. His voice was coated in some sort of adoration; Rebekah started wondering what made the doppelgänger so alluring.

"May I bring Carolina along with me? She has said that she has already met Lord Klaus already," the Tatia copy said. The doppelgänger's friend had already met Nik? Must be a girl that either has fallen for Nik or is a vampire trying to get on Nik's good side, Rebekah thought off handedly.

Trevor sighed, "Yes, Katerina. Carolina can join you. Tell me though why do you insist that she go with you everywhere?"

"Carolina is my best friend," Katerina said staring down Trevor. You could practically feel the venom in her voice. "She is the one who helped me when I needed it most and refused to leave. I am indebted to her. And as friends wouldn't you want to share every happy occasion with one another?"

Rebekah rolled her eyes. The doppelgänger had a moral compass; how retched. Is this who she is going to have to pretend to be friends with for the next month? Don't forget Rebekah she will be dead and then everything will go back to how it should be.

"I guess," Trevor conceded and Rebekah frowned at how easily he submitted to (trivial) argument.

Rebekah stopped listening and quickly decided that she didn't very much like this new doppelgänger and was glad that she would only live for a month longer. Rebekah then turned and marched off to find her elusive older brother.

Who throws a party for themselves and doesn't even go?

Carolina sat sulking in the beautiful garden of Klaus's home.

Everyone was paying attention to Katerina. They spoke about how pretty she was and how charming she was. Katerina didn't even want to be here!

Carolina was stewing in her jealousy again and she gripped her goblet so hard that it started to crack a little.

It's always—ALWAYS—is about Katerina. Katerina you look so pretty. Katerina you're voice sounds like a beautiful harp. Katerina I love what you have done with your hair. Katerina, Katerina, KATERINA! Would Katerina be so pretty if I scarred her? Would her voice sound just as beautiful if I ripped out her tongue? Would her hair be so beautiful if I ripped it all out of her head? Carolina thought. She imagined what would happen if she did all those things how she would look and when she thought of the image Carolina swelled with happiness. But quickly felt shame and horror at her thoughts.

Katerina was her friend! Her best and only friend! She should not be thinking of doing such things to her friend. Carolina hugged her arms to her chest and her foot started to bounce up and down like in always did when she was scared or nervous.

(You'll be just like your sister. Raving mad and enjoying every second of it!)

No, Carolina thought. She was just jealous. Jealousy was experienced by everyone.

"Hello there. Are you okay?" Carolina turned to face a handsome young man that appeared to be her age. His hair was long and slightly wavy and his face held a cocky grin. His clothes were rich in appearance and color and Carolina rolled her eyes. She did not to flirt right now when she's having a meltdown.

"Yes, I am quite alright. No need to ask," Carolina said quickly and turned away from him, staring out at the garden. The man didn't leave, but walked closer to her. So close that they were almost shoulder to shoulder. He looked down at her since he was a head taller and still with that annoying smirk on his face spoke.

"From what I saw earlier you looked frightened or nervous, maybe a tad angry. Care to tell what of?" he asked. His accent was similar to Klaus, but Carolina didn't let that distract her.

"That is no business of a stranger." Carolina responded simply.

"I'm Kol Mikealson and you are?"

"Carolina Farce."

"Now we are no longer strangers, but acquaintances, now tell me what's boring you."

Carolina smiled at his thinking. Turning she gave him a look from over her shoulder; "Acquaintances or not I will reveal nothing to you. Now," she offered Kol her hand, "care to dance?"

Trevor quickly ended his conversation with a baroness and walked towards Elijah. This was either his last moment on Earth or his greatest triumphs.

"Ah, good evening, Trevor. I am pleased you could join us," Elijah said in his usual polite tone. Trevor smiled happily (nervously) at Elijah.

"I could not miss the birthday celebration," Trevor said. As if he could miss this party. His life was on the line.

"No, considering the gift you claim to bear. Where is this mystery girl of which you speak?" Elijah asked. Trevor could feel the Original's gaze practically igniting his skin. Trevor's smile wavered, but he kept his cool.

"Right this way."

Kol was highly amused. Here was one of the tastiest looking things in the whole ballroom and not one of his tricks were working on her.

"Please, allow me to get you a drink," he asked, but Carolina only looked at him as if he was a fool.

"If I wished for I drink I shall get it myself," she said and Kol sighed. He had seen her when she was standing in the gardens. Her face passed with anger then shame and fear. It was interesting to Kol to see the girl fight with her emotions where as he went along with them; allowing them to guide his every decision.

"You know, darling, I have danced with you at least four times and yet you won't tell me anything." Caroline laughed at him and smiled charmingly.

"Hm, you have dance with me an awful lot," she teased. "And I am feeling awfully generous at the moment. So I guess I will have to tell you." Kol smiled as she leaned in close and cupped her hand around her mouth and his ear to protect people from hearing. As if anyone is going to hear with this ball going on, Kol thought wryly.

"I am quite thirsty; do you think that you can go get me some wine?" Kol looks at her and she just laughs and sashays away from him. Kol chuckles as he grabs a cup from one of the passing servers. This girl was a mystery; an enigma that was waiting to be solved. Kol was determined to be the one that solves her and get under her skirts.

She's such a pretty little thing.

Klaus was tromping down the stairs to attend his own party. Klaus had completely lost track of time. He had been checking around his castle making sure that no one was lurking in places that they shouldn't be, when Rebekah screeching and hollering like a banshee swooped down and forced him to attend the party.

"You're missing you're party!" she had yelled.

Klaus had shrugged and said he would attend soon. Rebekah had countered that the doppelgänger was already there and Klaus ran to go secure his place with the doppelgänger. He was now watching Elijah, Trevor, and the girl meet for the first time.

Elijah was staring when the girl noticed her and spouted out a polite hello.

"Forgive me. You remind me of someone," Elijah apologized still staring. Klaus rolled his eyes as he could see the face of his brother looking into the face of the woman they had loved five centuries ago.

Trevor then decided to intervene, seeming put out with Elijah's staring. "Katerina, may I introduce the Lord Elijah." Katerina giggled and curtsied while Elijah bowed.

"Pleasure, my Lord."

"The pleasure is mine," Elijah said as he kissed her hand. "Katerina."

Klaus gagged as he watched his brother falling for the girl with the same face as his past lover. Klaus turned to look at something else, but quickly caught the sight of blonde hair. As his eyes searched for the strands of blonde he saw his brother Kol chasing someone.

"Please, why do you avoid me so?" he saw Kol moan and the person he was chasing giggled and came back to him. Klaus couldn't see her face she had her back turned to him.

"Because I find joy in your torment," she answered nicely and Klaus felt jealousy and giddiness bubbling in his stomach. The girl turned to reveal the beautiful girl in the vivacious red dress was none other than his side project Carolina.

The girl looked stunning and Klaus felt his eyes open a little wider as if to take the image in. Beautiful blood red dress, rosy cheeks, blue eyes shining; Carolina looked like a bubbly little angel. She caught him staring at her and she waved him over. Kol noticed who she was waving at and glowered at him hugging her closer to his body. Klaus's eyes flashed, if Carolina was to be anyone's territory it would be his alone.

Klaus began to saunter over towards Carolina whose eyes were lighting up with joy like he expected. "Here he is," he heard Elijah voice say over the crowd. He turned to see Elijah staring at him, calling him over to meet the doppelgänger. Klaus looked back at Carolina, who looked somewhat angry and downtrodden. Kol was smirking at him and Klaus sighed as he walked over to meet the doppelgänger.

This was the first time Klaus actually wanted to kill the doppelgänger and not break his curse.

Anger and jealousy were an unhealthy mix; especially if your mind was unstable like Carolina. Carolina watched Klaus walk away from her, closer towards Katerina.

"That is why I was upset earlier," her voice was dripping with venom.

"Why? Because my brother keeps walking away from you?"

Brother? Carolina ignored that and kept talking. "No, because Katerina has everything."

"You don't like seeing your friend happy?" Kol's voice sounded amused like he knew an inside joke and was laughing at it.

"I do. I just like seeing her in pain even more." Carolina's voice was becoming unstable. She was losing the control she had over her insanity. It was slipping even fasting with her alcohol consumption.

Kol was gripping her tighter to his body, so close that it was almost inappropriate. Usually Carolina would push him away and call him a few names that ladies weren't supposed to know, but Carolina was too busy thinking of ways to cause her best friend pain as Katerina chatted with Klaus.

"I can help with that," Kol murmured in her ear and Carolina smirked.

"Then do so."

Kol laughed and Carolina was swept off her feet. The world started to blur around her. It felt from the reds and gold of the ball room to black and grey blur. The whole time she heard Kol laughing in her ears. When the blurring ending Carolina was dropped to her feet, but collapsed on the floor as the world spun around her.

"Kol, where did you take me?" The world was still spinning and Kol was still laughing.

"We will have so much fun together. The first place we'll go is Greece, then Italy! As long as you do what I say." The world had not stopped it's spinning, but it had lessened dramatically.

"What are you talking about Kol?" When had she agreed to travel with him? She had only met him tonight! Something red was put to her mouth and she drank it, but it tasted funny. It tasted like metal; iron. She gulped down some of it, but then spit out the rest because of the taste.

"What is this Kol!?" Carolina had yelled. The world had stopped its spinning and she got up and dusted off her clothes. She had noticed that they were in the dungeon. "Where the hell are we?"

"I'm helping you like you asked." Kol said as he stalked up to her and stroked her cheek.

"How will this help me?"

Kol smirked at her. "Just you wait!' His eyes were light with excitement. And his hands were trailing down to her neck, lingering too close to her breast and Carolina raised her hands to stop him when a cracking sound rang out and Carolina saw no more.

Donatella was alone. The world around her was as blank as a piece of paper. There was no sound; even her breathing her mute.

"Donatella." She turned to see an old woman looking at her. The woman had beads in her hair and wore a red dress with a dirty and stained apron over it. Her skin was wrinkled, but her face was strong and fierce. She was a Bennett, Donatella could tell.

The old woman smiled at her. "I am Ayanna Bennett; a witch like yourself."

Donatella nodded, but inwardly hissed at the woman. She no longer had a family. Klaus made sure that her mother hated her. The woman looked at her sadly. "I know that you think that the only thing that is left for you is death and helping Klaus, but there is a way to destroy him."

Donatella looked at Ayanna. There was a way to kill Klaus? Where was it? "What is this way to kill him? I know it cannot be a spell, many have tried."

Ayanna only smiled at her. "Find the one called Mikael and you and your bloodline will be safe."

Donatella shot out of her bed in a cold sweat.

Mikael. The name swirled around in her head as images of the man were being pounded into her head. Mikael could get her back into her mother's favor and kill all of these pesky vampires.

Mikael.

Donatella smirked deviously. Klaus would be dead and would never be able to tell his siblings about Mikael coming to kill them.

Donatella got out of her bed, smiling and ignoring the party going on beneath her feet. "What is soon to be blind, death, mute, and dumb?" she chuckled viciously as she started to brush her red hair.

"Klaus and the whole vampire race!"

The future never seemed so bright.


	8. Chapter 8

**Part One: Chapter Eight**

" _ **A dog in desperation will leap over a wall."—Unknown Author**_

* * *

**[1492/England]**

_Carolina was drifting in a sea of nothing, which was a good thing._

_She had nothing to worry about or fear here. She was just another being that was drifting._

_Carolina knew that Kol had killed her and she didn't know whether to feel anger or joy. Anger, because now she was dead and broke her promise to Katerina about never leaving her; joy because she no longer had to worry about ending up like her sister. Carolina wanted to stay like this forever; just drifting and not having to worry about anything._

_She knew it was selfish, but should she have at least have a moment to relax; have at least a second to herself. Carolina was content and happy, though she died alone and at the hands of a man that she had just met. A flicker of anger flared within her, but was quickly quelled._

_She was already dead there was nothing that she could do now._

_Just as she thought that she felt a tugging. Carolina opened her eyes wide to see that she was hovering over her body now, which was left to lay in that dinky dungeon. Kol was sitting on a crate patiently, sipping a goblet of wine. Carolina frowned at that but was more focus on the tugging feeling she was experiencing. She was dead; intangible; nothing should be able to touch her let alone pull her back to the place of her death._

_Carolina went and hovered over her body. Something was wrong with her body. She remembered having her neck broken killing her instantly. How was it that her body looked as if she had never died; that she was just sleeping?_

_Suddenly, Carolina was shoved closer to her body, causing her to gasp. She was re-entering her body! She was going to return to the world of the living! But she didn't want to return! Turning her ghostly body, Carolina trying to float away, but was wretched back only closer. She was face to face with her dead, maybe alive, body._

_Carolina screamed and trashed about, trying to move away from her body. Trying to return to her state of meaningless drifting, but the mysterious force wouldn't allow her; shoving her forcefully back into her body._

_Carolina could now feel her toes, and feeling was slowly creeping up her legs and fingertips and her surprisingly unbroken neck. She didn't want to live again! She didn't want to deal with the constant worry over her psyche! Screaming one last time, in hopes that this force would stop allow her to return to the sweet embrace of death, Carolina was fully shoved back inside her body._

_Surely whatever force of nature was doing this knew that she was a menace to society! Surely it knew she was better off dead! Everyone would be safer if she was!_

_Whimpering at the feeling of feeling once more, Carolina resigned herself to her fate._

Carolina opened her eyes and gasped.

She was alive once more.

* * *

Katerina tittered cutely as she listened closely to Klaus's story about how he finally one upped Elijah in sword fighting.

Klaus was handsome and charming and was practically oozing confidence. It was hard not to be swept away by this enchanting man.

 _But Carolina had already laid claim to this man, Katerina. This is Carolina's happily ever after; you cannot and shall not take that away from her._ Katerina sighed as she thought of Carolina's claim. Klaus looked down at her concern plastered onto his handsome face.

"Are you alright, Miss Petrova? Is there something you'd like me to get you?" Klaus asked and Katerina melted at his accent.

"Oh nothing! Nothing is wrong! I do not require anything. If anything I should be getting you something! After all, is this not your celebration?" Katerina said, hoping that he would catch on to the stealthily hidden innuendo.

A flicker of interest flashed in his eyes, but in quickly faded, disappointing Katerina greatly. "No need, I will soon have everything I desire." He shot what seemed to be a heated look at her, causing her to blush. "I have heard that you have brought another guess with you. Tell me about your friend."

Katerina almost pouted that Klaus wanted to her more about Carolina than try and bed her, but quickly reprimanded herself. _This_ is her best friend's happily ever after! Help her achieve it!

"You have already met my Lord. Carolina claims that you invited her to this party once you happened to meet each other in the town center." Klaus's eyes glowed with interest as Katerina talked causing her to pout slightly.

"Really, it is a small world after all?"

Katerina laughed as Klaus grabbed a goblet of wine for the both of them. _Such a gentlemen._ Katerina sipped the wine in the most seductive way she knew feeling empowered as Klaus watched her and guilty as she thought of Carolina.

"It is. Where is Carolina now that I think of it? I have not seen her all night," Katerina said, eyes darting all over the room. Where was her best friend? She was all she had left as a stable foundation. Carolina was all she could say was permanent.

Klaus gave her an easy smile, placed both of their goblets on the table and took one of her hands in his. "She is fine," he assured her. He led her towards the dance floor, walking with grace and confidence not worrying about tripping and falling. "I saw her speaking with my younger brother, Kol. I assure you she is in safe hands."

Klaus put his hands on her waist as they danced to the music like all the other couples. He was staring into her eyes like she was his everything and it was causing butterflies to burst to life and then die rapidly. Her body was going hot and cold as his eyes lingered on her lips and chest and Katerina gave him a flirtatious smile.

"Now," he said giving her an intense gaze. "Tell me more about yourself."

Katerina swore that if things continued the way they were Katerina was going to bed Klaus and forget about Carolina's claim.

* * *

Donatella walked down the hall cautiously. If she was going to find Mikael then she would need to do a locating spell to find him. She wouldn't be able to get Klaus's blood and say that it was going to be for the ritual. Klaus has been alive for over five hundred years trying to break the curse, so he would know if he needed to make a blood donation or not.

The rest of the family was out of the question seeing as they might think something was going on with her and tip off Klaus. And Donatella was not even close to ready for another torture session. So that left one option.

Go to the one Mikaelson sibling that couldn't tell anyone. That was why she was down in the caverns that the Mikaelson family had constructed underground in case of an attack. This is where Klaus had made her put the spell to lock away the coffin.

The caves were dark and stinky and the air was muggy and Donatella would not usually go here, but this is where she needed to be. Donatella walked faster clutching her torch closer to her as she walked deeper into the mouth of darkness; her eyes flickering in every direction thinking that something—someone—was behind her.

Donatella pushed away some cobwebs and knew she was at her destination. The dark brown coffin was glossed and of the highest quality and dressed beautifully. If there was one thing that Klaus seemed to use as apology to his family was putting them in fancy coffins. Walking up, Donatella pushed the lid of the coffin open feeling the warning bells going off in her mind; alerting her that an intruder was in here. Donatella snorted; warning bells were no good if the caster was the intruder.

Looking down, Donatella noticed the brown eyes that appraised her. Donatella smiled at Finn and opened her satchel, pulling out her puny dagger and a jar.

"Hello," she said. Finn's lips almost seemed to frown at her, but that couldn't be possible. Finn could do nothing with that dagger stuck in his chest. "Klaus hasn't decided that it is safe for you to come out yet. He says that your loathing of your own race was irritating."

Donatella lifted his hand as Finn watched on interested in what she had to say. Being locked away for four hundred years, you had to get bored of pondering at one point. "I understand why you would hate being what you are," Donatella continued cutting a long cut on the palm of his hand. The blood flowed out sluggishly since no heart was pumping it and Donatella quickly placed the jar under his bleeding hand. "Being a vampire must be horrible; everything always changing while you do not. Having to kill the innocent so that you can survive only to be the only permanent fixture the world may have. That sounds like a horrible lifestyle."

Finn looked at her sadly. Donatella could tell that everything she was saying was true to this vampire. He never wanted this. She slashed another cut on his already healed hand and placed it over the jar.

"So I will put you out of your misery. With your blood I will find Mikael and he will kill you all." Finn's eyes that were staring at her so intently seemed to glow with relief. Donatella smiled viciously. "Including your siblings and what was her name? Sage, I think."

Finn's eyes widened and he looked as if he was ready to tear her throat out. Donatella laughed at the immobilized Original as the jar was half way full with his blood. More than enough for all the locator spells she was about to do.

Placing his hand back in his coffin Donatella looked down at him. "I will see you at your funeral." Donatella then closed the lid of the coffin and walked away. Closing the lid of the jar tightly, Donatella strutted away feeling victoriously.

* * *

Rose rushed towards the dungeon with a drunken man following her deliriously.

_Carolina is a vampire! Carolina is a vampire! Carolina is a vampire!_

Rose's new best friend was a vampire and Rose didn't know how to feel. She was happy that she would be able to spend the rest of eternity with her new best friend, but she didn't want her best friend to be condemned to the fate of being a blood sucking fiend.

Fury seeped into her as thought back to moments ago when she spotted Kol among the crowd without Carolina.

_[1492/Mikaelson Manor]_

" _Where is she, Kol?"_

_Rose was standing boldly in front of Kol demanding (actually demanding) to know where he had hidden her friend. Fear crept into her blood as she thought of what Kol could have done to Carolina and what he might do to her because of her tone._

_Kol looked down at her, "I would not be taking that tone with me, Rose. You know how I am."_

_Rose clenched her fist and gritted her teeth as she looked at Kol. "Please tell me what you have done to her."_

_Kol smiled as he looked at her smiling mischievously. "Something I am sure that everyone would have done sooner or later." Rose quirked a brow and Kol grabbed a drink._

" _What?"_

" _I improved the girl. She was so entertaining and fun. Though I could feel that she had something in her that would make her a great and very fearsome vampire," Kol said happily sipping his drink. Rose gasped._

" _Why?!" Rose said a little loudly. "Why would you do this?! She had a life!"_

_Kol snorted, "The best chance she had was marrying into a loveless marriage with a farmer, maybe even her father's friend, and producing children. I gave her the better option."_

_Rose glared at him, "You care nothing about human girls and the way their lives end. Why do you care about this one?"_

" _She's interesting."_

_Rose sighing, she sat down and put her head in her hands. "Is she awake?"_

_Kol sat down beside her. "Yes, I locked her one of the cells. She kept screaming about how I have damned her. She also kept asking about what I have done to her. I locked her into once of the cells in the dungeon. If you're so worried about her you could meet me down there and make her complete the transition yourself."_

" _You didn't give her blood, yet!" Rose practically screeched, but Kol shushed her and warded off any people that felt the need to stare._

" _No, I haven't given her blood yet, but you can give it to her if you like."_

Kol looked at Rose as he held a crying Carolina by the shoulders. "Here she is!" Kol smiled as Rose shoved the man towards Carolina.

"Rose! Rose! Kol—Kol did something to me! I'm—I'm so thirsty!" Carolina stuttered out and Rose shushed her and hugged her as Kol held the man.

"Don't worry Carolina things will get better," Rose said soothingly. Kol shoved the now bleeding man towards Carolina whose face started to change.

"Rose, what's happening to me," Carolina cried once more as she walked shakily towards the man. Carolina pushed the man up against the wall and sunk her fangs deep within his neck. You could hear her moan happily, satisfied with the blood that was sliding down her throat.

Kol laughed as Carolina pulled away from the now drained man and started to sob.

He sauntered over to Rose and leaned next to her as Rose watched Carolina sobbed. Carolina's face was a mixture of pure elation and complete horror. The two emotions fought for dominance on Carolina's face and Rose watched on in morbid fascination.

" _This_ ," Kol said gesturing the conflicted Carolina. "Is why I turned her."

If there was one thing that Rose had learned over the years, it was that when a Mikaelson took an interest in someone, that person usually doesn't end up with a happy ending.

Rose couldn't help, but think that Carolina should save those tears for later. This was just the beginning.

* * *

Trevor could feel agitation as he watched Klaus enchant Katerina. He didn't like the way that the feeling of a burning hatred festered in his stomach as he watched them.

"You know that you are going to have to stay here to guard the doppelgänger." Trevor turned away from the seemingly happy couple. To face Elijah who stared at his brother and the girl with a wistful look on his face.

"How long will I be staying?" Trevor asked. Elijah refocused on Trevor.

"No longer than a month. Just until the sacrifice is over," Elijah stated nonchalantly. Trevor nodded and looked out at the couple.

"Have you ever wished to be like your brother, Lord Elijah?"

Elijah raised a brow, but said nothing. "Sometimes I wish that I am like Klaus," Trevor said. "He is powerful and can get anything he wants. Look at him, Klaus is about to break the curse and become even more powerful then he already is. He has nothing to fear." Trevor felt the jealousy boiling in his blood. Klaus had everything, what more could he want! Was becoming the most powerful being in existence not enough?

Trevor frowned as he heard Elijah chuckling. What was so funny? "There are some things that are above us. Even monsters have bigger monsters hiding underneath their beds." Trevor shot him a disbelieving look and Elijah just chuckled.

 _The Originals had things to fear?_ Trevor couldn't wrap his head around the thought.

* * *

Klaus shoved Katerina up against the wall roughly and pulled at the strings of her dress, almost ripping it. Katerina moaned heatedly into his mouth and Klaus smirked. Things were going as planned.

Klaus lead Katerina to a guest room (as if he was going to take her to his actual room) after watching her flirt with him shamelessly. Throughout the whole night though Klaus couldn't help but hope that Carolina would pop in and begin to speak to him. He wanted so badly to see; to speak to her and learn about the girl he intended to create into a vampire. However, she never showed her face to him after he had left her to talk to Katerina and that left him feelings frustrated.

Klaus decided to stop fumbling with the strings of her dress and just pull the dress right off. Katerina gasped as her dress tore and Klaus used that moment to shove his tongue into her mouth. Katerina moaned once more as Klaus sucked on her tongue.

She never seemed to notice that Klaus made no verbal noise telling her that he enjoyed this as well. Klaus pushed her down onto the bed as Katerina unbutton his tunic and shoved it off him and quickly start working on his under shirt.

The whole time Klaus was thinking of her best friend, Katerina was thinking about Klaus.

_To Hell with Carolina's claim! I want Klaus._


	9. Chapter 9

**Part One: Chapter Nine**

" _ **You brood of vipers! How can you speak of good things, when you are evil?"**_ **— Unknown Author**

* * *

**[1492/England]**

Carolina's sore throat was being used to scream.

Her skin sizzling as the sun pierced every pore on her right side, Carolina jerked away from her victim and scurried back to the safety that her windowless cell provided her. She cry out in pain and disgust as she watched the burnt, peeling skin slowly fix itself back to the flawless skin she had no become accustomed to seeing.

"That was much better than last time, darling, though you still didn't stop when I reached fifteen. You stopped when I reached sixteen." Carolina glowered at Kol as he smiled calmly at her and pulled the lever that shut the blinds.

"J'espère les coups de soleil vos os aux cendres! ( _I hope the sun burns your bones to ashes!_ )" Carolina growled. Kol just laughed at her as Rose walked into the room with another maid in her arms.

"You both need to keep it down in here. I could almost hear Carolina's screams of pain up the stairs," Rose hissed as she pushed the maid in Kol's arms. Kol ignored her and smiled when the veins started to bulge under Carolina's eyes, but she didn't move an inch. She had learned from the last five maids. Breathing deeply Carolina pushed away the thoughts of blood and locked them within a strong mental cage. Slowly she felt her fangs and veins recede. Once they had finally disappeared Carolina closed the door to her cell and turned away from the two older vampires. She had learned not to rip out throats, but she hadn't learned how not to drain a person dry.

"Please leave and take the maid with you. I no longer want to practice this anymore," she said. Carolina wanted them to leave so that they did not have to see her cry. She was confused and though she knew they were trying to help her she just felt that things were spiraling out of control. She was the same monster that John was and she could only feel hatred and pity for herself. She had become a monster.

"Now, now there is no need for us to stop now. You are better than you were the night before and at the pace we are going you could very well be walking around with humans by the end of the week," Kol said, but Rose shushed him.

"If Carolina thinks that she is finished for the day, then she is finished for the day. Torturing her to teach her control is bound to make one tire fast," Rose murmured glaring at Kol who just smirked at her.

"But she is learning and that is all that I really care about," Kol said. Carolina turned keeping her tears inside herself and shot an angry look at Kol. He was the reason why she was this… _thing_. He was the one that had done this to her. He was the one to blame.

'Why did you do this to me?" Carolina's voice was so small and weak. It was weak enough that is seemed like if you even breathed too loudly you wouldn't hear it. Kol turned to her and just smiled.

"I haven't done anything thing you didn't ask for. You wanted me to help you make your friend feel bad. This was my best response to your request. And besides, you seemed like you would be so much fun."

Carolina felt the veins and fangs reappear as she felt anger swirl inside of her like a tsunami. Fun? He thought turning her into this beast would be amusing? Her life and now _afterlife_ was just a toy for his amusement?! Rushing forward, Carolina opened the cell and threw herself at Kol. She pushed him against the wall of the dungeon and hissed furiously into her smirking face.

"Fun? This is all just fun and games to you?! My life is nothing, but a toy to you?! Laissez-moi Eh bien, vous dire quelque chose, Kol. Ma vie est le jouet à personne et je ferai vous et un autre qui ose me railler se rendent compte que je suis le jouet à personne qu'ils peuvent juste jeter(remuer) autour! ( _Well, let me tell you something, Kol. My life is nobody's toy and I shall make you and anybody else who dares to taunt me realize that I am nobody's toy that they can just toss around!_ )" Carolina hissed. Then Kol just threw his head back and laughed! Laughed right into Carolina's face!

Something hot and heavy was boiling in Carolina and she duly noted that she had never felt anything as intense as what she was feeling now. "Brûlez à la cendre! ( _Burn to ashes!_ )" Carolina screamed and just when she was about to hit Kol, she was roughly pulled away.

"Carolina stop it. He is just being rude right now since he was awake all night training you." Rose cooed into her ear. Carolina struggled in her tight grip. "Kol, let us leave. I believe you have made enough progress for one day."

Kol, who was still laughing, straightened himself as he wiped a tear from his eye. "I knew I did something right by turning you," he jeered. And Carolina felt like killing him. To her he had done the worst thing possible by making her even more of a monster.

* * *

_Oh…so this is why I am not in my bed._

Klaus stared at the face that he had fallen in love with only five centuries ago and felt nothing. She was pretty, but an obstacle in what he truly desired.

Karina (that was her name right?)slept peacefully and Klaus just stared at her as if she was an unwanted and foreign object. Sure Klaus needed her and she was pretty, but he was pretty sure that Elijah would be the one who would try and court her, seeing how he was ready to drop everything with the girl that shared Tatia's face.

Getting up as slowly as possible, Klaus wandered around the room looking for his trousers, quickly slipping them on once he has located them. It was when he was cursing, trying to find his tunic when he heard a shift from the bed.

"We're you just going to leave me here? Alone?" the small feminine voice of Karina (what was this girl's name?) asked him. Klaus didn't turn, but just pulled on his tunic and threw what he hoped looked like a shameful look when he actually begging to leave.

An awkward atmosphere hung in the air like a fog as she got up, clutching the bed sheets to her body like a prude. "My apologizes. I have business to attend to this morning and I hoped that I could just finish it before you awoke."

The girl snorted softly, "I bet you just wanted to get away from me." Klaus sighed internally as he now knew that _he_ was the one that was going to have to court the girl. Walking closer to her, Klaus could hear the blood pumping through her veins and the loud, almost deafening thumping of her heart causing him to stare at her chest. God, he just wanted to rip her throat out and drain her.

"Hardly," Klaus said. Klaus watched as a blush crept up her skin, wondering if Carolina's skin would hold a darker shade of red if she blushed. Klaus ignored his thoughts and took Karina's wrist in his hand and pulled the sheet clad body closer to his own. He bent down to murmur in her ear. "Now, that I have had your body," he whispered letting his other unoccupied hand roam over her body. "I want your heart to accompany it." Katerina practically melted into him and Klaus frowned at how easy it was to seduce her into the calming mood he wanted her to be in. This was no challenge; it was far too easy.

"Now," he said pulling away, "if you wish for me to return faster, I should leave now." Klaus not even looking at her face pulled on his tunic and walked away, not before flashing a smirk at the girl.

It wasn't until halfway down the hall Klaus remembered her name was Katerina.

* * *

Kol strutted down the hall, blood stains and tore shirt bared proudly. No one stared and no one said a word as he walked by. Everyone knew it was better not to question Kol or else it would be their blood staining his shirt.

"Kol, it appears that you have a bit of food on your shirt." Smiling mischievously, Kol turned to his sister, Rebekah. Rebekah sneered at him, "You apparently still have some food on your face too."

"You know how I like to indulge myself, sister," Kol said as he turned back around to start walking back to his room. Rebekah followed him.

"Where have you been? You missed most of Klaus's party!" Rebekah screeched. "And you better help me distract the doppelgänger. This once acts like she has a moral compass. That is hard to believe since the original was a tramp and!"

"Rebekah, I refuse to help you entertain the doppelgänger. I have things to do. Your older brother has people depending on him you know," Kol said. They arrived at the door of his room and Kol shoved the heavy slab of wood open while Rebekah scoffed.

"Important people? You mean the whores you meet in the town square? Do you not already pleasure them enough?" Rebekah said callously.

Cringing inwardly Kol wondered what had happened to the sweet little sister that he used to have; you one who only insulted when she was jesting with her sibling, not to make biting remarks. Kol ignored the twinge of pain that he felt and just smirked at his sister. "Rebekah, you don't seem to understand that once you get a piece of me you will never get enough."

_And soon someone will learn that lesson._

Rebekah rolled her eyes and Kol took off his shirt. "Ew, must you strip in front of me!" Kol shrugged.

"You came into my room. You are welcome to leave. I have business to attend to," Kol said brushing her off.

Even though he couldn't see it Rebekah was frowning at him. "Business? What could you have to attend to now? Kol, you better not do anything that will upset Nik's plans. He has been waiting for this day for a long time. He would not like it at all if you ruined it for him." Kol rolled his eyes. Why was everyone worrying over Nik and his stupid plan? The man was well over the age of being pampered and yet everyone acted as if he was a baby that needed to be tended to with the upmost care. Has anyone remembered what happened to Finn?

"Nothing to do with Nik's plans Rebekah I can assure you. Though, once she can get herself under control we will be leaving as soon as we can."

"She? Who is this woman?" Rebekah asked. It had been a long time since she had heard of any woman in one of her brother's life. Sure, they had women over, but they were usually whores or a stray maiden that they could feast upon. However, this woman sounded more than what her brother would usually pick up.

Kol smiled, happy that he has confused his sister with the mention of Carolina. "No one that is of any concern to you sister." Kol tugged at his pants and turned to his sister to give her one last look. "If you wish to know what my arse looks like I suggest you leave."

Rebekah stomped away disgusted, but intrigued. Who was this new girl that was going to be with her brother? Kol had not taken a fancy to anyone before so this woman must be someone stunning. She just had to find out.

* * *

" _Magnos spiritus audire placitum meum_ ," Donatella hissed out as sweat trickled down her brow. Finding Mikeal was becoming a bigger hassle then she first assumed. Mikeal was very good at hiding; so good that even the blood of his son, Finn, was having trouble finding him. Maybe it was because they were both dead and the spell worked best when the person you were trying to find was alive (like heart beating alive). " _Hoc unum peto, ut sanguis ligat sanguis. Sanguis mentiri non potest_!"

She needed more fuel; more power. She didn't want to do this, but it was necessary. She began to entertain the magic that was brought by the darker spirits. Though many do not know this, there were two spirits; the Spirits, the ones that kept nature in check and most witched served, and the Recessit, the Spirits who have strayed away from the regular magic and created the darker, more powerful (dangerous) magic. How this great divide began is a long a difficult story, but all that was needed to know is that every time a witch cast a spell she will have two options as to where she will draw her power from; from the purer and weaker pool of magic or the tainted, powerful pool of magic.

Donatella was now pulling magic from the Recessit. The magic was powerful and easily intoxicating. She could feel the blood moving on the map as if it was moving on her own skin. Her mouth went dry as the power sent waves of pleasure through her and she wondered why everyone had believed that this magic was evil! The power not only got the job done but brought blissful feelings along with it. " _Donec mortua terra quaerere. Sit hunc sanguinem inveniet eam patrique. Id est meun unicum desiderium_." Donatella practically moaned, hissed, and whispered the last sentences of the spell. The magic as dark and as tainted as it was, was thrumming in her veins and making her eyes swell shut as she felt as if she was high in the sky with no boundaries. She felt empowered and when she opened her eyes she found herself looking at the dot where the blood had stopped moving.

"There you are," Donatella murmured as she caressed the map. The Spirits were screaming at her telling her that she would pay for playing in such dark magic, but the Recessit were purring, happily, whispering about all the things she could do, now that she possessed this power. She could finally kill Klaus as long as she kept using this magic.

_Revenge is what you desire. Let us be your Furies._

If they could help her kill Klaus she would use this magic for as long as she needed.

**[Line Break]**

Elijah sat down as he watched Katerina in secret. He did not like snooping around like a child, but he didn't want to speak or talk to her. He just wanted to _look_ at her.

If she spoke she would say something that was completely different from what Tatia would say. She looked like Tatia, walked like Tatia, and in some manners, even acted like Tatia. If Elijah could just close his eyes he could imagine that Katerina was Tatia.

" _Eli_ ," she would say as she giggled and played with her hair in a flirtatious manner, " _you need to relax. Come with me._ " Then he would follow her into the forest where they would do things that only young couples that were so much in love would do.

 _But you were not a couple. You were the only one that was in love in that relationship_ , a voice viciously hissed at him as images of Tatia and Klaus together were shoved to the forefront of his mind. _But this time I could start over. Keep her away from Klaus and make her mine like I supposed to do with Tatia; like I was meant to do with Tatia_ , Elijah thought determined.

"Lord Elijah? What are you doing, standing there alone? Please come at sit with me." Katerina said and giggled. "Look at me, inviting the Lord of the house to come and sit in his own home." Elijah just smiled lightly at her. She even giggled like Tatia.

"I am sure your mother would be horrified," Elijah teased and the feeling felt both new and familiar to him.

Katerina looked down sadly, and Elijah felt sad and shameful of himself. This is why he doesn't like to tease and be playful it appears that he does it incorrectly. "My mother," Katerina whispered quietly. Elijah frowned at her. Did her mother die? Was her mother sick?

"I apologize if I may have opened any healing wounds," he said tediously. Katerina shook her head and smiled, "You have done nothing, but make some memories return. Nothing to apologize for."

Silence hung in the air and Elijah desperately wanted her to say something. As he gazed at the woman you shared the face of his past love, Elijah wanted to take her and hide. He wanted nothing more than to be with her for all eternity, but the underlying threat of Klaus. He loved his brother and he loved his family, but he also loved Tatia and wanted to at least get to know the girl that shared her face. Maybe Elijah could get over this hole in his heart if he kept the girl alive. He was going to find a way to keep the girl alive.

"Have you ever wanted to things badly, Miss Petrova? However, you could not have one without losing the other," Elijah asked turning his head to look at the garden they were in. Katerina smiled at him.

"Yes, I have. No matter how much I wanted both I always choose one over the other," Katerina said. Elijah smile almost slipped.

 _Tatia never choose. She kept you both as her little playthings, this girl doesn't. Not stop entertaining these little fantasies!_ That voice (which sounded awfully like Klaus) hissed at him.

 _Remember this girl isn't Tatia, no matter how much you want her to be._ Elijah felt that hole open a little wider.

* * *

Donatella's mother felt as if life could get no worse.

Her daughter had left her to go help the hybrid and now she was left alone in the world with no daughter. Growling, curse under her breath, the woman lugged a pail of water down the desolate road to her small house.

After entering her home, Donatella's mother felt a pain in her chest. It was sharp, fierce and burned. She whimpered, but ignored it. However when she took a step the pain became worse and suddenly spread across her body, travelling through her veins.

Screaming, she dropped her pail to the floor, scratching at her skin. Words were being whispered, moaned, and shouted in her head as the pain flowed uninterrupted.

_You must pay._

_Your daughter's sins you are atoning._

_Your life will atone for now._

_But if your daughter touches the Recessit once more…_

_Her demise and that of your line will be the final asking price._

What had her daughter done! What had she done! Screaming, Donatella's mother watched black spots dance before her eyes. The pain was unbearable!

_Then sleep…_

The Recessit were whispering in her ear, speaking of the glory of death. How the pain would stop if she just closed her eyes. Donatella's mother whimpered as she closed her eyes letting death take her.

She thought the pain would stop in death.

It didn't.


	10. Chapter 10

**Part One: Chapter Ten**

" _ **Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools suffers harm."—Unknown Author**_

* * *

**[1492/England]**

Something was off.

Klaus, even though he was busy entertaining the doppelgänger (he had finally memorized her name was Katerina after a week) he was still very much aware of the things in his castle. He knew that Kol and Rose were getting usually close and we talking about something that they had hid in the dungeon. Trevor and Elijah seemed to becoming almost friendly of each other, but when it came to who would spend time with the girl they would fight like dogs. Rebekah was busy trying to juggle entertaining Katerina when he wasn't around and trying to find out what Rose and Kol were hiding. Rebekah was to inform him of her findings as soon as possible. And Katerina was mostly oblivious to everything that was going on around her, but was constantly fretting over the disappearance of her friend Carolina. That was a major problem.

Like Katerina, Klaus had expected the girl to be here too, however she was nowhere in sight. He had to compel Katerina many times that her friend was alright, but he couldn't keep doing that. There were only so many times you could compel someone before the compulsion became permanent. Carolina had to be found so that he could turn her and so Katerina would stop her worrying.

Klaus watched as his witch, Donatella, walked around with some books under her arms. That was also becoming suspicious. His witch was working and reading more. At first he assumed that it was for the ritual, but she could have just asked him about it since he knew the ritual better than the back of his own hand. Lately at night his werewolf side would stir inside of him, the hackles of the wolf would stand on end as he felt something dark and powerful dance across the air. It would keep Klaus restless and make him stay awake for hours.

Klaus pinched his nose and took in a deep breath.

This was going to be a long month.

* * *

Rebekah sighed as she heard nothing but bland stupid words pour out of the mouth of the girl sitting in front of her. She thought she was going to have the girl for acting like a harlot like Tatia, however it turns out that the girl was nothing like Tatia ( _yet_ ). Instead she finds that Katerina was boring and tasteless. Every word to come out of her mouth felt similar to water coming from a well; boring, clear, and tasteless. Nothing the girl said was exciting or very intriguing, but she knew that her oldest brother, Elijah would disagree.

Whenever, Rebekah witnessed her brother with the wretched doppelgänger she swore that she tasted sugar in her mouth because of how _sweet_ and how _kind_ he was towards her. She liked seeing that her brother was happy, but she felt that he was feeling all the right feeling for all the wrong reasons.

Rebekah sighed as she went back to listening to the doppelgänger. "And Niklaus was so kind to me yesterday, and bought me this wonderful ring in the market place!" Katerina said as she flashed the gaudy looking ring in Rebekah's face.

Rebekah pushed the hand away. "Oh…How nice of my brother." Rebekah felt ill.

"Yes, how kind of him indeed. I have no clue as to why he would court me as I am only a simple girl." The way Katerina said the sentence though suggested that she knew exactly why she was being kept here. Rebekah was not feeling faint at the thought of her favorite brother having sex with the girl. She was becoming ill at the thought of her brother having sex at all.

"Ew, Katerina do you not remember that I am Nik's _little sister_?! I do not need to know who warms his bed!" Rebekah squealed in obvious disgust. Katerina smiled shyly.

"I am sorry. I am just so accustomed to telling my best friend, Carolina everything and the both of you are just so similar," Katerina said wistfully.

Rebekah turned away from the doppelgänger not wanting to deal with the drama that she was bound to start to delve into. She spotted Kol and Rose walked through the corridor near the garden that the girls were sitting in. Smirking, Rebekah quickly got up and started to follow them.

"Rebekah, where are you going?" Rebekah sighed as she turned slightly to Katerina, not wanting to lose sight of her brother. She still needed to figure out what he was hiding with Rose, but she couldn't just leave the doppelgänger here unprotected; Nik would have her head if she did. Thinking back Rebekah remembered that Katerina had said that she was fond of playing games, no matter how childish they were.

"We're going to play a game, Katerina," Rebekah said. She grabbed the brunette's had and quietly followed after her brother. Slinking down the corridor after him like a thief.

"A game?" Katerina said loudly. Did the girl not know that they were trying to be as quiet as possible or was she just daft? "What type of game? Is it like chase or hide and seek?"

Rebekah's lips twitched at the mention of those games. She had not played those games since she was a human. "Yes, this game is quite like those. You see we must follow Kol and Rose. However, they cannot see us nor must we make a sound if you make a sound you lose or if they see you, you lose."

Katerina looked at her with the most dumbfounded face before she broke into a smile and nodded. Rebekah then let go out her hand and started to follow her brother as discreetly as possible. Kol and Rose were standing near a door at the end of the hall, quietly discussing something. Rebekah walked normally, but kept herself close to the walls. She looked back to see how Katerina was fairing and also slapped herself.

The girl was tip-toeing down the halls, ducking behind doors, vases, table (which she was obviously visible under) and chairs. She was currently hiding behind a curtain but her boots were visible making the scene comical. Rebekah sighed.

Katerina may only be living for a month, but Rebekah had to teach her the art of espionage.

* * *

_One._

Her face changed and she rushed towards her prey.

_Two._

She grabbed her prey roughly and dug her face into the crevice where their shoulder and neck met. The heartbeat was strongest there.

_Three._

Her fangs lightly scraped the skin as he eyes found the largest and easily most visible vein there. The pulse was thrumming rapidly in her prey. She could hear it.

_Four._

Her teeth dug into the paper thin flesh of her prey. Her prey was crying out, begging for her to stop, but she couldn't. The blood was just too good; so tasty.

_Fivesixseveneightnineten!_

Like that she was done and she pushed the body away from her. Her time was up. She raced back to her cage and shut the door. Her body was begging for more, but it did not need anymore. Her bloodlust could be contained.

"I am so proud of you." Smiling, Carolina hugged Rose tightly as she entered the cell. For almost a week she had been stuck down in the dank a dinky cell, but she had finally mastered her bloodlust. She could finally go outside and see her friend again. She could face Klaus.

Carolina looked over Rose's shoulder as they hugged and smiled at Kol. The smile was bittersweet, but a smile nonetheless. She wouldn't have made it that far without him. Letting Rose, go Carolina smiled and squealed a little in happiness. Kol chuckled.

"Here," Kol said as he tossed her something that glinted in the air. Carolina caught it and turned it around in her hands. It was a ring. The band was silver and it had two small turquoise stones then a big lapis lazuli stone. She looked at Kol confused as she had never received anything so nice before excluding her former clients.

"It's a ring that has been spelled by a witch," as he said this Carolina tilted her head to the side in speculation. There was so much more she was going to have to learn. "It will allow you to walk in the sunlight." Carolina eyes widened at the thought. She could walk in sunlight again.

She slipped the ring on her ring finger and slowly but surely walked into a patch of sunlight. She didn't burn…She didn't burn! Carolina smiled as she squealed once more and flung herself at Kol. "Thank you! Merci, Kol! Bénissez oh votre âme! Vous ne comprenez pas comment reconnaissant je suis pour ceci. Merci! Merci! Ce qui pourrait j'avoir fait sans ceci! ( _Thank you, Kol! Oh bless your soul! You do not understand how grateful I am for this. Thank you! Thank you! What could I have done without this!_ )" Carolina made a wild gesture to the ring that now sat on her finger. Kol chuckled at her again.

"It was not too long ago you were hoping that my bones burned to ash and now you are blessing my soul. What a strange being you are," Kol snickered. Carolina ignored the jab and smiled up at him.

"Come now, Carolina should head to a room and rest there. She has been gone for a while and she need her rest after all this training she has been doing," Rose said as she took her by the arm and led her away.

"I intend to do as I promised the night of the party," Kol shouted after her as Rose led her up the stairs that led out of the dungeon. Carolina felt fear tickle her spine, but she ignore it. She was going to sleep in a real bed tonight.

* * *

Donatella could feel the dark, enticing power swirl around her as the Recessit fed her body power. Spells to access dream took a lot of power, especially if it was over a large distance. Mikael was somewhere in Italy, a long ways away from England, but if the man wanted to kill his children bad enough he would get here before the monster was able to unlock his full potential.

Taking a spoonful of Finn's blood she mixed in a bowl of sea water and herbs as she chanted the words needed. " _Confringet ossa. Frange scuta. Virtute movere animum Intrem! Verba suavitatis! Mens veneni! Positum esse eum patiatur! Spatium non tempus est pars test_!" The magic was swirling around her a funneling into the bowl. Mikael was not resting, but now she would know when he was and be able to enter his dreams. The blood, water, and herbs swirling furiously in the bowl and Donatella gasped as she saw a picture appear in the bowl.

It was a picture of her cousin, Charlotte. But what did this have to do with Klaus's death. Donatella's cousin Charlotte was walking. She was perfectly fine and unharmed, but Donatella kept watching.

Charlotte suddenly grabbed her head and screamed in pain, or what Donatella could assume she was screaming in pain as there was no sound. Blackish veins, similar that of a vampires, climbed up her arms like worms and where ever the veins appear Charlotte would scratch at the veins furiously, peeling her skin in the process.

"Charlotte, stop." Donatella murmured. Charlotte could not hear her and gripped her head as the black veins reached her head. Her eyes were becoming bloodshot as she cried in pain. Donatella whimpered and felt tears fall down her cheeks, why was this being shown to her?

Charlotte screamed for one lone, painful moment before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she slumped forward dead. Donatella screamed a slapped the bowl to the ground. Her cousin what curse had been placed on her to cause her such a painful death. Why did she even have to witness that horrible scene?

_Because you left us!_

Donatella grabbed her head as she felt a sharp pain sting her skull. She left the Spirits and now they were getting their revenge. Donatella wiped her tears and stood tall. Once she killed Klaus they would accept her back into their good graces. She just needed the Recessit's power to do that one task.

_Welcome to the point of no return._

* * *

Rebekah sighed as Katerina stumbled and fell for the second time that night. Obviously the two hours Rebekah had taken to explain the art of espionage had fallen on deaf ears. They had been trying to master the art of espionage but Katerina's body seemed to favor the floor then stand up straight. It was already night so they might as well give up. Sighing, Rebekah dismissed the girl and decided to relax in the sitting room.

Taking the time to teach Katerina espionage was tiring seeing as the girl was a klutz, though she was unsure if she was stumbling on purpose. Rebekah sighed as she grabbed liquor from the liquor cabinet and sighed blissfully as she relaxed in a lounge chair.

A rare silence hung in the air and it made Rebekah anxious. It was barely ever silent in the castle. With four five hundred year old siblings it had to be loud, but this silence was eerie and it made Rebekah a little uncomfortable. She decided she was being silly and decided to walk around.

She was walking through one of the thousands or corridors when she heard a voice speaking lowly to someone else.

"No rest, Carolina, you have been missing for a week and have been working hard. I will go and compel Katerina to believe that you were always here with her," a voice said lowly.

"Thank you, Rose," the other lighter voice of who she assumed was Carolina answered. So Rose knew where Katerina was the whole time, now did she? "I wish to see Kol once I awaken. We have something that we need to discuss."

Rebekah quickly pulled away from the door and rushed down the hall.

Ooh, she knew that Kol and Rose were hiding something! Using her full speed, Rebekah rushed towards her brother's study. She threw the doors open, and Klaus looked up at her with an annoyed face. "Don't give me that look," she said as she sat in a seat in front of his desk. "I know what Kol has been hiding."

* * *

Klaus stomped down the halls using the full speed that was given with vampirism. Kol was going to get it for turning what he had already deemed was his.

Carolina was supposed to be turned by him. Not Elijah, not Finn, not Rebekah, and certainly not Kol! Carolina was his. _He_ was the one that was supposed to feed her _his_ blood. _He_ was the one that was supposed to watch her kill her first person not that she hadn't done it before.

Klaus frowned as his viciously threw the door open of his little brother's room. There Kol sat feeding from some red head that was soon on the floor as Klaus pushed her aside. Gripping his little brother's neck tightly Klaus growled lowly.

"Why did you do it Kol?" Klaus asked. Kol shot him a confused look and that just upset Klaus more. "You know how I feel about sharing Kol. I am not fond of sharing nor am I of lie, no explain yourself!"

Kol wheezed out an "I have no clue what you are talking about brother."

Klaus growled and threw Kol aside. "Where is she, Kol? Where is Carolina?"

"Oh her," Kol said as her rubbed his throat. "She is sleeping. We have been spending a lot of time together." Klaus's jaw ticked.

"Why did you turn her, Kol? She was _mine_." Klaus did not like the thought of anyone other than him taking claim for creating the most beautiful monster in history.

"You ignored her at your party last week so she came to me," Kol said. Klaus's eyes narrowed, it was true he did neglect her at the party. Kol smiled as Klaus said nothing. Smirking the infamous Mikaelson smirk Kol strutting past Klaus. "Now, can you leave, I need my rest for my date tomorrow."

Klaus made his face a mask and left the room. Why the hell should he care that Kol and turned Carolina? It was not like he knew the girl all that well.

For now.

* * *

_Mikael._

_Mikael._

_Mikael could see nothing, but white burning lights that harmed his sensitive eyes. He used his hands to block out the light but he could still see it through his hands._

_Mikael, listen there is not much time._

" _Who are you?" Mikael shouted. He did not like that someone was using his dreams to contact him. He didn't like the thought of another in his mind._

_A friend. Now listen, Niklaus has all the pieces to unlock his heritage; his birth right._

_Mikael growled. "That coward can do nothing, but run!"_

_He has ran from you, but if things go to plan then he will have no need to run. He could destroy you if you decided to face him after he has completed the ritual._

" _Lies," Mikael spit._

_Not lies, just the truth. However, if you come to England you could kill the bastard. You would never have to see Esther's mistake any longer._

" _Do not speak of her in such a way!"_

_Come to England and kill Klaus and Esther's name shall be cleared._

_The dream ended._

Donatella smiled as she woke from her nap. It had worked.


	11. Chapter 11

**Part One: Chapter Eleven**

" _ **Out of the deep depths of misfortune comes bliss.**_ **"—Unknown Author**

* * *

**[1492/England]**

Elijah chased after Katerina in the flourishing gardens. Her giggles rang out from somewhere in the hedge maze and Elijah could only focus on the voice. It was so much like Tatia's, yet nothing like it. When Tatia giggles her voice got higher and started chiming like bells, but when Katerina giggled her voice got louder and a little deeper; sultrier. It was the same voice, but the tone was different.

Whenever Katerina did anything all Elijah could do was sit and point out everything that separated her from Tatia. Like when Katerina was sad she did not seek others for comfort she stood tall and strong and tired her best to show no one how weak she was. If he was a naïve human he would have believed her but he was a well-seasoned five hundred year old vampire and could easily tell that she was sad about something. If Tatia was sad she would go running to him bearing her weakness and shame and allow him to comfort her as best as he could. Katerina did no such things.

And now with her laugh, Elijah could only find more things that could make her different from the girl whom he once loved. It was like the world did not want him to treat Katerina the way he did Tatia; as if the world did not wish for him to be happy any longer.

"You have to chase me!" Katerina teased as she ran away from him faster. Elijah laughed, if only this girl knew how fast he could run. Elijah was tempted to do just that only to how that familiar body of hers in his arms when he stops. He hasn't enjoyed himself in too long and if he caught her the game would be over.

"You are meant to catch me," Katerina states as she looks back at him. Her cheeks are flushed and her bosom looked as if it was going to pop out of her green dress. Elijah adverted his eyes and murmured lowly, "But if I catch you, the game will be over."

Katerina smiled sweetly at him. He never liked playing these childish games, but if it was for her he would do it. "Thank you for entertaining me." Elijah chuckled at her.

"You seemed lonely inside, so I took pity on you." Katerina sat and twiddled with her thumbs. She looked so lonely and innocent and he had tried his very best to make her stay as enjoyable as possible before his brother killed her. _But she won't die Elijah. The witch will make the potion, she will return to life, and you and her could spend the rest of eternity together._

"Carolina is still asleep as she finally is getting over that flu she had caught and I do not wish to disturb her. I wish to see her after not seeing her for a week." Katerina said and Elijah almost raised an eyebrow. So that was the lie they compelled her to believe.

"What about Rebekah? Why do you not go to her to help satisfy your loneliness?" Elijah inquired.

"Not to be rude but I have the feeling that she does not like me very much," Katerina whispered to him as if Rebekah was listening into the conversation. (She probably was, but still.) Elijah felt a burning sadness rush through him. She felt that she was unliked? Could she not tell that he absolutely adored her? That he hung on her every word? Tatia had said the same thing once he showed her to his family. How could Rebekah dislike something that was damn near perfection?

"However, I care little for her opinion. I have Carolina and her opinion is all that I really need," Katerina said. She put on a brave face like sitting with his sister and two other women for tea was something to be seen like a war. (And with his sister's temperament it probably was.)

That was something else that Tatia would never do. She would always think about other's opinion about her; always trying to please everyone. Katerina was brave and bold and outspoken and so unlike Tatia. It was endearing and refreshing.

Katerina was unique. Nothing about her was like Tatia excluding her face.

* * *

Sunlight.

Sunlight was bright. Sunlight was golden. Sunlight was warm.

Carolina could name everything that sunlight was but why torture herself like that. She knew that the moment Kol gave her the ring that allowed her to walk in the sun it was going to cost something. Now as she sat looking out the window she discovered what it was. She couldn't _feel_ sunlight. The best part about sunlight was to be taken away from her.

Carolina pouted as she watched guard wander to and fro. The sunlight glinted off their metal armor and tanned their skin. They panted as the heavy armor and heat made them sweat exceedingly.

" _Dammit Timothy_ ," one of the guards that were passing by her window groaned. Carolina looked down at them from her high window. " _What I would not do for a glass of water. The sun is baking me alive!_ "

The other guard, Timothy laughed and wiped sweat off his brow. " _You are right, Issac. All this armor is making me sweat like a pig!_ " Carolina's nose wrinkled as she tuned out of the conversation. It was like the world was taunting her; punishing her for becoming so weak that she couldn't even stand in sunlight.

 _Maybe if I take off my ring. I could feel the heat they feel instead of pain_ , Carolina thought. Carolina took the ring in one had a slid it off her finger slowly. She inched towards the sun, going to stick her hand in it when she was shoved harshly against the wall and the ring was placed back on her finger. Carolina was face to face with a white shirt stained with blood.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Carolina looked up and found herself looking into the curious eyes of Klaus. Carolina gasped and blushed (if you could do that when you were a vampire). He almost saw her cause herself some intense pain. Carolina's heart fluttered as she thought of how handsome he was at the ball and how he left her with Kol to go and talk to her friend Katerina. Now as she looked up at him her new and enhance eyes could now tell her how handsome he really was. Everything about him was perfect and she craved him badly now that she could see what he really looked like.

Klaus gave her an amused smirk that made her look down in embarrassment. His shirt was cut open giving her a wonderful view of his chest, but Carolina was staring at the large red stains that clashed with the white of his shirt. She could feel the veins around her eyes begin to emerge and Carolina shoved Klaus away and blurred to the other side of the room. Klaus was now laying on her bed looking at her as she fought for control.

"This is why I wanted to turn you," she heard Klaus murmur. "You would be the perfect ripper." Carolina ignored him and covered her eyes and counted backwards from twenty in French. When she was done she looked at Klaus who was now standing in front of her, still with that amused look on his face.

"Why do you fight it?" Klaus asked. Carolina frowned at him as she suddenly thought about how he left her with Kol to go and talk to Katerina. He had known her longer than he did her best friend and yet once he saw Katerina, suddenly she was something of the past.

"I have no need to answer you. Ask Katerina she is surely more interesting than I," she huffed as she brushed past him. She sat at her vanity and started brushing her hair, blatantly ignoring him. She hear Klaus chuckle behind her and heard the creak that the bed made when he sat on it.

"Darling, there is no need to be jealous. It was my birthday party, you know I had to say a friendly hello to all my guests," he said. Carolina gripped the hair brush tighter. It sounded as if he was mocking her; telling her that the jealously that she felt was petty. It was petty, but that didn't mean it was to be dismissed so casually.

"I know, I just thought that you would spend more time with people that you knew instead of leaving them to hang. Especially, with people that they do not know," Carolina was brushing her hair faster and rougher now. She could now feel the bristles of her brush rub against her scalp.

"Ah, but you forget, I have only met you once. You can say I barely know you," Klaus said with a knowing tone. Carolina looked at him through the mirror and saw him smirking at her. It was true. Carolina and Klaus had only met once and only knew each other with through a mutual friend. Sighing, Carolina turned around and looked at him.

"If I am going to stay here I do not want to be strangers with the lord of the house. So I suggest that we become friends," Carolina said with a tilt to her head.

"Agreed," Klaus said smirking with that amused glint in his eyes.

* * *

"If you would just do as I have asked you to then we won't ever have to do this again." Katerina shifted under Rebekah's gaze as Rebekah huffed unhappily. Katerina knew that Rebekah did not like her all too well and she wondered why Rebekah even tolerated her. Maybe it was to make her to unladylike tasks like these.

Katerina huffed and crossed her arms, making her look like a spoiled, pouting child. "I refuse to do this. It is very unladylike and…what if Trevor catches me?" Katerina stated with a stomp of her foot. Rebekah raised an eyebrow at this, but ignored it. They had bigger things to deal with.

"That is the whole point of this exercise, Katerina. You are supposed to get caught so that you can lie to Trevor," Rebekah explained. Katerina had heard about a thousand times before, the first couple of time she did not understand what she was to do, but now she was just stalling for time.

"What does this have to do with the art of espionage again?" Katerina asked for the tenth time that day. Rebekah just rolled her eyes and repeated herself.

"In the art of espionage you have to think every step through. What you are looking for; how you are going to do it; how are you going to overcome obstacles; and most importantly, what you are going to do once you get caught. When you get caught you have to lie very convincingly. If they believe you then you will be able to leave under little suspicion, but if they don't believe you…" Rebekah gave Katerina a toothy smile and Katerina was already cringing as she knew what was to come next in this little speech.

"You shall be hung at the gallows, or they will torture by pulling your eyes out, or they will burn you at the stake, or they will rip your head off and will put it on a stake so that your severed head will welcome everyone who enters the town." Katerina moaned in disgust and felt the urge to vomit. However, Rebekah would not allow that as she spun Katerina as fast as she could and shoved her into Trevor's room. "Bye-bye Katerina!" And with that Rebekah slammed the door shut.

Katerina moaned again and sat down on Trevor's bed. How could Rebekah talk about those things so nonchalantly? She once went to a hanging. It was the hanging of a man that had murdered three men in her town, or so they claimed. She was only seven and she watched in horror as the floor beneath the man disappeared and he was left to hang.

The man's face became a bright red, and then gradually became a deeper red. Not long afterwards his face became light blue and then an ugly deep purple that no human should ever become. The whole time the man was struggling and people threw stones at him cheering for his death. Katerina couldn't take it and threw up.

The urge to vomit grew more as she thought about that man. Her father had told her that it was okay to cheer for the man's death. " _He was a bad man, Katerina. He is not worth crying over. He had killed people and because of that he had to be punished. There is nothing wrong with killing a guilty man_ ," her father had said, but she still cried over that man that night.

"Katerina?" The world was spinning around Katerina and she looked up to see Trevor looking down at her with concern. "What are you doing in here?"

"I believe that I am going to be sick," Katerina said as Trevor pulled her up from the bed. The world spun too fast now that she was up right. So Katerina spilled her breakfast all over Trevor's boots.

* * *

"You can't say that this is all my fault," Kol pouted. Carolina paced around her room before sitting down on the bed across from Kol. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed loudly.

"Yes it is, Kol. I never asked for this," Carolina said running a hand through her hair disheveling it. Kol smiled thinking that she looked adorable. Carolina glared lightly at him. "I never wanted to be this thing."

"You asked for help," Kol frowned, "I just did what you asked."

Carolina glared at him. Heat was burning in her eyes and it made Kol feel warm. "I wanted help making Katerina's life miserable!"

"And this is my way of assisting you," Kol said. He walked over and grabbed Carolina up. He started to dance with her to music that played quietly in his head. Carolina still glared at him. "Can you blame me for trying to help you?"

"No."

"Good," Kol smiled. "Remember you are responsible for the idea. Now, darling, tell me where do you wish to go first?"

"Go?" she asked and she gave him a confused looked. "Where are we going?"

"Anywhere you desire. That is why you were turned, to accompany me on my travels," Kol said. Carolina stopped dancing and stared at him with shock. He watched as the shock quickly turned into hatred and anger.

"Only for company, I thought I have told you before Kol, my life is no one's toy. I do not wish to travel with you. In fact, I no longer wish to be in the same room as you," she said as she turned away from him. Kol glared at the back of her head.

"Really and what are you going to do? Stay here with my brothers and sisters? They will eat you alive and I will not be here to save you," Kol snarled. This girl was his. She had his blood running through his veins so she belonged to him and him alone! "Now, if you come with me, I can show you much more than just the dungeon of this castle," his voice was husky and seductive, but Carolina's back was still turned to him. She was unwavering in her stance as he had obviously offended her. He came closer and wrapped his arms around her waist making her stand straight. "I can show you the whole world if you wanted me too."

Carolina laughed harshly and moved out of his arms, "Kol you are mad. I would go now where with the man that made me this. You have cursed me."

"How many times do I have to tell you I was only trying to help you in the best way I knew, and it was you who wanted to ruin your own best friend's life! Hm, what type of person would want to do that?" Kol taunted. Carolina frowned at him. This conversation was getting heated fast.

"I was jealous. I say things I do not mean when I am jealous."

"Jealous people say things about other people clothing; jealous people will accidently spill wine on someone's nice dress. Jealous people do not wish to make the life of the person they are jealous of a living hell."

"I never said that," Carolina defended but Kol just gave her a smirk.

"But you did. I saw that mad gleam in your eyes. You really wanted to destroy the poor girl's life in that moment," Kol said. His smirk only grew wider when the girl suddenly seemed to pale. Carolina thought that he hadn't seen a mad person before in his life, but she was sadly mistaken. "Tell me do you dream about killing people? Do you think the blood of your victims on your hands feels satisfying?"

Carolina was paler than before and she was shrinking away from him. She was trying to suppress the feelings that she felt when he spoke but he saw the flickers of emotions that was pass briefly in her eyes. Hunger, she wanted to kill people, but it seemed that she hadn't in a while. Kol smiled she was like him, always up for a good kill. "Be quiet Kol."

"Why? Do the words I speak disgust you or appeal to you? Or are you disgusted that these words do appeal to you?" He was enjoying torturing the girl a little too much, but he was close to pushing her over the end; to making her something close to a monster with an angelic appearance. Kol left the room in a flash and grabbed the first person he could find; a male servant who looked to be no older than twenty. He pulled the man into Carolina's room and quickly bit into him but did not drink a drop of blood. When the aroma of the blood and the man's moaning reached Carolina she looked at Kol with her vampire face in full view.

"What are you doing?" she asked him having trouble with speaking because of her fangs.

"I taught you control and now you need to learn how to lose control," Kol said darkly. His eyes kept watching her and when the girl did not make a move to go and take a sip of the heavily bleeding human that was poised right in front of her then knew he had to make a move. So he took a large gulp from the human then rushed over to the shivering blonde and crashed his lips to hers.

Carolina's eyes grew large and she gasped giving Kol the thing he needed as he opened his mouth and shoved his tongue and the blood into her mouth. Carolina took unwilling mouthfuls of the liquid as Kol's lips moved against hers. When Carolina was done Kol did not take his lips off hers, he actually brought her closer to him and made the kiss deeper than it was before. Carolina looked surprised and looked as Kol closed his eyes and moaned into her mouth sending a vibration through her small frame. Kol smiled as he felt Carolina responded to his mouth.

Ever since he turned her, Kol had been feeling a strange sort of possession over the girl and seeing that the girl had eyes only for her brother made him jealous. What was so amazing about Niklaus that everyone had to bend over backwards for him or fawn over him like he was a babe that needed coddling? Kol was no different from his brother really, but he did not require all the attention that Nik did and if he could keep the attention away from Niklaus for even a couple of seconds he would.

Carolina moaned happily into his mouth as he pushed her onto the bed and ripped open her dress. "Kol," she moaned airily making the youngest Mikaelson smirk. He was getting the attention that he deserved and he was going to keep this going to keep this going for as long as he could.

* * *

Donatella looked down at the road that she was walking down with her hood covering her head. Thank the Lord that it was raining or else she would be considered a very suspicious figure.

Donatella rushed as fast as she could with the rain pounding against her back she rushed over to a tree and hid under the trees. She should have never agreed to meet him. She could be caught at any moment and that would be it for her. Klaus would have her head a stick before she could even suck in a breath.

Donatella looked around waiting for the informer that had sent the message. He said he would be here by three! Where was he? Donatella then started to shift from one foot to the other and started to play with her fingers nervously. She waited quietly as people passed her by giving her odd looks for standing in the rain and shifting every so often. _This was a foolish thought_ , Donatella thought to herself as she stomped her foot. _If the informant has not arrived now, he shall never arrive. Did you actually think that any vampire would be foolish enough to lead you to him and risk getting on the Originals death list_?

Frustrated and thoroughly embarrassed by making a fool of herself in public she turned and crashed into the chest of tall man, who was looking down at her with eyes that seemed to be cold with indifference but glowing with amusement. He was tall and had long black hair and even darker eyes. He eyed her up and down and Donatella felt naked with her dark brown and black plain dress.

"You are the witch?" He asked. He sounded a little suspicious and Donatella was quick to try and placate him. "Yes. Yes. I have come from Niklaus's castle. He is not aware that I am here," Donatella murmured lowly as her eyes skirted across the streets. There could always be one of Niklaus's henchmen lurking around.

The man nodded, "I am Steven. Mikael is right this way." Then he turned and started walking at a brisk pace. Donatella rushed after him holding her skirt high enough that it allowed her to catch up to him quickly without showing her ankles.

"I couldn't help, but notice that you are not the same informant from before, what has happened to him?" she asked as the rushed in the same direction she had come from. The man just turned his head to look back at her not once steadying his pace.

"Would you not think it suspicious if you met the same man many times? This is to keep the suspicion low," he said as they took a sharp left turn almost causing Donatella to stumble into a man.

"I see."

They then walked in silence that was soon broken when they came upon a nicely decorated carriage. It was a royal blue color with the Mikaelson family crest on it in gold. The man nodded towards the carriage. "Mikael is in there. Good luck." He then left the scene with nothing, but a gust of air showing that he was even there.

Donatella sucked in a deep breath. She could do this. She could and she would. She had much more power than most witches could dream of and though magic was tainted she was using it for a good cause. So that made everything she was doing okay, right?

Donatella nodded to herself. It was for the greater good that she was using dark magic and if it led her to Klaus's death or desiccation then it was all worth it. Squaring her shoulders, Donatella walked towards the carriage and with the help of the footman got in. She looked up and saw the man that she had only contacted in his dreams and gave him a good long look.

"Hello, Donatella. I would like to thank you for all you're help in finding Niklaus," Mikael said. Donatella smiled at him.

"My pleasure."

* * *

"What did we just do?"

Carolina looked at Kol who had only a satisfied smirk on his face. The sheets were pools at his stomach as she clutched them to her chest. It was not the first time that Carolina had had sex and it certainly would not have been the last, but she had just never had _vampire_ sex before and it was…different and more intense.

"We just slept together I think," Kol said with a teasing glint in his eyes. He ducked his head down for a kiss, but Carolina turned her head so that his lips could land on her cheek. Oh God, what had she done? She could feel Kol frowning at her as she tried to gather her clothes.

"Why are you so upset? You were so responsive moments before," Kol said as he grabbed her from behind, Carolina though wasn't having that and pushed him away.

"Just stop it, Kol."

"What? Are you upset that you had sex with me instead of Niklaus?"

"I don't want to answer that Kol." Carolina slipped on her undergarments and went to her vanity to brush her hair. She was really upset that she slept with Kol. She said she wasn't going to sleep with anyone until she found her one and only. Her days at the opera house had scarred her.

"Of course. Everything is about Niklaus! Everything always is about my broken older brother! But let me tell you something, Nik is a grown man that doesn't love anybody but himself. He could never give you what you want," Kol sneered at her.

"And you could?" she shouted at him. "The way you act, Kol is nothing like a grown man. Niklaus acts like a grown man, you act like a spoiled child!"

_CRASH!_

Kol was in her face, his eyes blazing with anger and hurt. His hand was clenched around her throat and Carolina tried to pry it off, but he was too strong for her. Black spots danced in front of her and Carolina's lungs were begging for air.

"Listen closely," Kol said as he put his lips to her ear. "I will not be talked to like that as your sire. I am older and stronger than you can ever dream of being so I suggest being a little nicer."

Then like the day she was turned, her neck was snapped.


	12. Chapter 12

**Part One: Chapter Twelve**

" _ **Out of the depths of misfortune comes bliss.**_ **"—Unknown Author**

* * *

**[1492/England]**

Katerina felt so special.

Everyone was doting over her as if she was a princess. The maids were always asking her about how she was feeling, and Trevor and Elijah were hovering over her like protective brothers. But the best part about this whole thing was the fact that Klaus visited her almost every hour of the day. Since the day of the party they had not seen each other very much, but now not she was sick Klaus seemed to want to spend every moment of the day with her! If this was not a sign that he wanted to court her then she didn't know what was!

"Hello, love," Klaus said as he took a seat next to her bed. Katerina smiled at him weakly and tried to sit up, but as soon as she shifted her position in the slightest the world started to spin. Klaus just smiled at her (she felt like squealing on the inside) and hushed her. "You seem to be quite sick. I do hope you feel better soon."

"I apologize. I get sick and now you have to take care of me. I am more than likely getting your staff sick as well. I truly am sorry," she said quietly in a small hoarse voice. Klaus chuckled.

"No need to apologize. It could not have been helped. Though I do wish for you to get better so that I may court you properly," he said as he gave her a little half smile that made her insides flutter and her womb clench.

"C-court, my lord?" she stuttered out. Court? Courting meant that he liked her. And courting could also lead to a possible marriage! Katerina felt faint, but managed to smile at Klaus. "Of course. I will try my best to get well as soon as possible."

"That's my girl," Klaus said. He passed her a goblet of a strong foul smelling red liquid. Katerina scrunched up her nose. "Drink your medicine." Katerina smiled and drink the liquid. It tasted like something metallic, she ignored it drank the whole cup in the most lady like manner as she was still lying on her back. Smiling, Katerina handed the cup back to Klaus who in turn wiped a smidge of the medicine off of her chin.

This man was just too charming.

* * *

Carolina let a sniffling sob as she clutched the bed sheets closer to her naked body. Why did the world seem to hate her and favor Katerina? Surely it wasn't for anything that she had done, but maybe she was being punished for the sins of her parents. She clutched the sheets closer as she thought about how Kol so roughly handled her. She had never been touched in any way that could come off as threating and this was the very first time. She did not like it.

She did not like the icy touch of fear that danced in her veins nor the horrible scenarios of what could have been that played loudly and clearly in her mind. She was not very accustomed to fear and hoped that she would never have to experience it again. Carolina let out a whimper as she thought about it.

Looking up, Carolina saw her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks were a bright cherry red and tear tracks stained her face. Her hair looked as if a bird and made itself at home in it and the way that she held the sheets close to her chest made her look like a very worn and depressed woman. She just stared at herself and thought about how pathetic she looked.

People had always told her since she was a child that she was a little ball of energy, but if they could see her now they would think that she was a shadow of the girl that she once was; all of this just because she sought the attentions of a man and received his brother's. Foolish is what they would whisper. Naïve is what the elders would say.

With a small scream of indignation, she broke a piece of the bed and threw it at the mirror. Glass flew everywhere making the most beautiful display when the light from the window touched the glass. Carolina breathed heavily.

She would no longer be the naïve girl that begged for attention and controlled by the petty whims of men. She may have said this before but now she really meant it: she would be nobody's plaything that they could just toss aside. Her life was for her and her alone. She would be independent and strong. She would live her life for herself, for once.

It may take a while to become the woman she was not aspiring to be, but thank god she had eternity to do it.

* * *

Katerina laid in bed staring at the wall in boredom. The only exciting thing to happen to her today was when Klaus came to see her, but that must have been hours ago. Groaning, Katerina rolled over onto her stomach. She had already started to feel better from whatever illness she had though no one believed her and the maid that was sent to watch over her insisted that the girl stay in bed.

Katerina tossed in her bed, huffing that she was being treated like a child. "Kat? Are you awake?" Katerina sat up as fast as she could as she looked at her blonde haired friend. A wide grin cracked her face as she threw the covers off her bed and rushed towards her best friend to consume her in a hug.

"Oh, Carolina! I have missed you so much! I thought that you would never get over that flu, but it seems that as soon as you got over your flu it bit me," Katerina laughed. Carolina laughed with her then pulled her back to give her a good look.

"You don't look sick," she said as she scanned her. Katerina giggled and tried pulling her friend closer but Carolina slipped out of her arms and waltzed over to the other side of the room with a sudden grace that Katerina was sure she did not possess before. Carolina sat in a chair that was next to her bed a narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Katerina. "You know you look extremely jovial for a person who is supposed to be bedridden."

Katerina smiled at her. "That is because I have great news." Her smile fell away and Katerina looked at her friend with great pleading in her eyes. "Though this news, I pray that it does not upset you."

Carolina quirked an eyebrow and leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand. "Well you shall never know if you do not tell me." Katerina sucked in a breath. How does one tell their friend that they man they want does not want you, but them? Carolina faked a yawn while she waited for Katerina to tell her the news.

Katerina decided that she would tell her in the fastest way possible.

"Klaussaidthathewantedtocourt meinsteadofyou!"

Carolina stared at her for a solid three seconds before laughing. Katerina panted. "Kat, I did not understand a word you said. Say it again."

Katerina frowned and crossed her arms. She really did not want to say it again. "Klaus come to me in the morn. He said that as soon as I got better he wanted to court me." Carolina just stared at her, again. "I am so sorry, Lina. It just happened. I did not mean to fight you claim. I just—I am just sorry! Please forgive me."

Carolina did not speak a word. In her eyes Katerina could see that she struggling with her emotions and could only hope that forgiveness was winning. Katerina started to twiddle her fingers in anticipation. "You should not allow Klaus to court you."

"What?"

Carolina cleared her throat and repeated herself slowly. "You should not allow Klaus to court you."

Katerina laughed breathlessly, "And why not?" A sense of déjà vu swept over Katerina. She thought about when Carolina was gushing over him and she was the cautious one, trying to make her friend see reality.

"While I was…sick, I asked the maids to tell me about Klaus and his family. Nothing that they said was good to hear."

Katerina scoffed, "And you will believe the help?" Carolina glared at her and it sent shivers down Katerina's spine. Something was different about her friend. Just what was it?

"Seeing as I do not know the man who is giving us shelter, I take what I can get. You should listen to me. Klaus is not the man that would just court you and then drop on a knee and propose," Carolina said.

"Oh really? Because the way you described him before and the way he acts around me is exactly what you tell me he is not."

Carolina made a frustrated noise. Putting two fingers to her temples she started to rub them. "That was before. Klaus and his family are not people you want to involve yourself with. They are manipulative and "

"Shut up!" Katerina hissed at her friend. Carolina looked at her looking like Katerina had physically hit her. "You only say this because you are jealous. You are jealous that _I_ have the man _you_ want and that men always seem to go after me! _I_ was the one who almost got married. _I_ was the one who Trevor invited to stay in his home. Not _you_! If it was not for me-"

A stinging, burning sensation that radiated from her face jolted her to the floor with a yelp. Carolina towered above her, glaring at her with eyes that could have been twin blue flames. How had she moved so fast without her knowing?

"You pathetic girl," Carolina said. "If it was not for _me_ you would not even be here. You would still be in Bulgaria. Sitting alone in a large house where no one cared about the pain you bore in your heart for the daughter you never got to hold. If it was not for _me_ no one would even _think_ of marrying you. Why? Because who would want a girl who is not pure? Who would want the girl who could so easily be bent by the attention of men?"

Tears were fogging her vision as Katerina looked up at this…thing. It was not her friend. Her friend would not say such harsh words to her. Her friend would not strike her across. No, think was a demon with her friend's face.

"What happened to you, Lina?" she asked in a watery whisper.

Carolina did not answer. She just turned and left her on the floor.

Because that is what real friends do for one another.

* * *

Klaus sat down with Donatella in a small room that thick with a pink smoke. Klaus coughed as Donatella allowed the plant to burn as she waved in around.

"And this is necessary because...?" Klaus said threw his coughing. Donatella sighed.

"In order for me to see if the curse is wearing thin," Donatella said. Klaus gave shot her a look that demanded an explanation. Donatella sighed again and dropped the burning plant just to grab another and burn it. She waved it in the areas that seemed to lack the pink smoke and when the smoke became thick and translucent she turned back to him and began waving the smoldering plant near his face.

"Curses are special things. There is always a condition to breaking curses. Your curse for example requires a full moon, a vampire, a werewolf, and a doppelgänger. The full moon is not just for the witch's use. While the full moon is a way that witches can harness power, there is a reason that the curse must be broken during the full moon. And that is because the curse must become either severely weak or the opposite. I want to check to see what happens to it so that I can see whether I will need more help from the spirits," Donatella said.

Klaus hummed in understanding. Magic was so confusing. Why could it not be simpler? Like all he had to do was look for a key or something. "And this smoke?" Klaus said gesturing to the air with a wave of his hand.

"Assistance. In order to see the, essence of the curse so to speak, I will need you to be unconscious." Klaus growled at the thought. He did not like being unaware of the world and seeing how the only other person in the room would be a servant of nature, who were notorious for loathing him, did not put him at ease. "I will not do anything that you would not like. You cannot be killed to begin with. In order for me to see the curse you must be asleep or else memories and thoughts would cloud your mind and I know you would not like me to see anything I should not.

"This herb, though potent, would probably have to be burned several times to make you pass out. Right now, a human would be passed out by now."

Donatella then fell silence as he waited to be taken under by the herb.

* * *

Guilt was gnawing a hole the size of a home in Carolina's heart.

Why had she said those things to her friend? Carolina thought back to the burning rage that had consumed her. It took all of her power to not try to rip Katerina's throat right out of its orifice. The only thought from doing that was the thought of what Klaus would do to her when he heard about what she did.

If Kol was such a savage she expected Klaus to be worse.

Shaking her head, Carolina thought about those things that she had said to her _best friend_. The words that she had said to her were hurtful and hypocritical. She had always been easily swayed when even the slightest man had showed her attention. Look at how she had reacted to Klaus! She had already started to plan a wedding when she hardly even knew him.

"Why does she refuse to listen to me? I try to explain what is best for her and she does not even consider my words. Fille ingrate (Ungrateful girl)." Carolina said as she kicked her foot in the dirt.

"Who is so ungrateful, love?"

Carolina frowned, but quickly changed it into a smile when she turned around to see Klaus. "No one. I just hate it when people do not listen to me."

Klaus laughed, "Yes because you know what is best." Carolina shrugged.

"When were you going to tell me that you were going to court my best friend?" she asked, eyes narrowed and lips pursed. Klaus chuckled again, looking at her from under his lashes as if he was embarrassed that she knew.

"She told you already? You are not jealous now are you darling?" Klaus said his voice drenched in mirth.

She scoffed, "What are your intentions with her?"

"Courting and seeing where it leads like many others do once they decide to court someone. Why do you care so much?"

"She is my best friend," Carolina said as she flicked a piece of hair over her shoulder. "She is all I have. I want to know that she goes into the best hands."

"You sound like an overbearing father," Klaus said obviously enjoying their banter. Carolina frowned.

"I do not trust you." She then stated randomly. She was unsure why she said it, but a gut feeling was telling her that something was amiss here. Klaus's smile melted away.

"It would be wise not to."

What was this man planning?

* * *

"What did you find out about the curse?"

Mikael looked down his nose at the small little with that presented herself in front of him. She seemed to think highly of herself seeing as how she allowed herself to stand tall in his presence.

_Mortals, always so over confident._

"The curse weakens during the full moon. It is still strong but becomes easily destroyed. His wolf lies under the surface. He seems to become more wolf than vampire during the full moon. Making him slightly weak, but still stronger than average."

Mikael smiled. Slightly or severely, weakness was still weakness and that was all Mikael needed. "So we strike during the ritual. He will not be expecting us then."

The witch smiled darkly, "Of course."


	13. Chapter 13

**Part One: Chapter Thirteen**

" _ **I hate love. Hate being in love. I never want it to happen to me again.**_ **"— Muriel Box**

* * *

**[1492/England]**

Carolina had a habit of doing something stupid when she was angry, like most people.

She stormed up to the door and banged on it harshly until it flew open to reveal a smirking Kol.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked with a condescending grin. Carolina just threw herself at him, crushing her lips against his. Kol smirked into the brutal kiss. He pulled her into the room and kicked the door closed behind him. He started to kiss down her neck as his hands played with the strings of her dress.

"I thought you didn't want me. I thought you wanted my big brother," Kol said between kisses. Carolina growled at him.

"Be quiet." This was nothing. This did not mean anything. She just wanted a release and he was just giving it to her.

Kol ripped the dress off her and smirked down at her. He pressed her body closer to his and kiss her once more.

"I knew you'd be back."

* * *

Katerina was walking everywhere looking for Rebekah. She was in great need of a friend and now that her best friend had abandoned her Rebekah was the next best thing. She had noticed that the two of them had a lot in common and thought they were going to be two peas in a pod if they were to ever meet, but that was not important now.

While she was lost in her thoughts, it appears that she has gotten herself lost somewhere in the great big castle. Huffing in frustration, Katerina tapped her foot trying to remember the way back to her room. She then turned only to face a servant that smelled strongly of outdoors and horses. He looked nervous for some odd reason and looked as if he wanted to say something, but Katerina cared for nothing he could or would say. She was busy.

"Out of my way," she said rudely, but the boy did not move only bowed his head.

"Um, Lady Rebekah says that she would like to meet you in the stables. I was told to escort you there," he said in a soft voice. Katerina's felt her face light up. She could finally tell Rebekah about what Carolina said and did.

She followed the young man to the stables, the whole time Katerina wondered why she would be there and just assumed that Rebekah wanted to ride around the property. The boy opened the door to the stable and when Katerina enter there was no one there. She quickly turned to question the stable boy, but he was no longer there.

"If this is some joke! You will not get away with it!" Katerina shouted into the stable. A horse huffed at her as if telling her to be quiet; she just glared at it in return. She was being courted by the lord of this manor and if they thought they could just get away with this they had another thing coming.

"Ma'am?" Turning, Katerina saw a maid looking at her with wide, glazed eyes. She looked as if she was possessed and it scared Katerina. The girl grabbed her hand and Katerina was about to pull her hand away when she spoke again. "Lady Rebekah says that she would like to meet you in the kitchen. She is sorry for the confusion. She says that the boy will be punished for playing such a prank on you."

Katerina smiled haughtily. The boy will pay. However, the same this happened when they reached the kitchen. She was left alone until another servant came a brought her elsewhere saying that Rebekah wanted to meet her at different location. They always looked possessed, but she thought nothing of it.

Finally the stable boy returned and told her that Rebekah would like to meet her in the sitting room. When he was about to take her hand she slapped it away and walked behind him until they reached the sitting room where Rebekah was lounging on a chair sipping wine from a gold rimmed glass.

"Ah," Rebekah said as they walked in. She put her glass down. "There you are. Katerina, another lesson in espionage; never trust the messenger unless they are loyal to you and if not just do it yourself." Rebekah took another sip of her drink and waved her hand at the stable boy. "You can leave now."

Katerina stomped over and sat down across from Rebekah glaring holes the size of craters into her. "I'm not in the mood for one of your lessons. I was trying to find you to tell you something."

"If you are taking about you and Klaus courting I already know that. In fact, the whole castle knows that," Rebekah said looking over the rim of her glass. "Anyways is your friend no longer sick? Go tell her."

"I would, but telling her that is sort of the reason we had a falling out." Katerina looked down at her hands, downtrodden. Her best friend hated her, she was sure of it. She did not blame Carolina for hating her either after all those hurtful words she had said, but she wasn't going to take it back. Who was Carolina to judge who she could court? She was a grown woman.

"Really? Does she have feelings for Niklaus too?" Rebekah sounded as if she tasted something bitter and sour.

"Yes…well she did at one point. Now she does not seem to like him any longer and seems more upset that he decided to court me. She said many hurtful things when she found out." Though she was angry with her best friend she could not understand the sudden change in feeling. Sure, she would understand why the girl would not want to Katerina to be court by him, but when she spoke it sounded as if Klaus was something horrible.

"Maybe she is jealous. Maybe she was playing hard to get with Nik, he lost interest, and invested his time in you instead."

"Maybe."

It did not make the situation any better.

* * *

Lying in bed with Kol did not make Carolina feel any better about Klaus and Katerina. It in fact made her feel foolish.

Turning, she looked at Kol who was smirking at her devilishly. She breathed a sigh through her nose. "I was using you."

"I know." His response was simple and easy. She expected anger and betrayal, not casual conversation.

"And you let me? Do you not feel…disgusted?"

"You are really showing how much of a baby vampire you are," he chuckled. He turned to lie on his back and looked up at his ceiling. "When you're a vampire for as long as I have human morals…human anything in general holds less worth as time passes. After a while you create your own morals. You create your own lines that you are never to cross."

He sounded solemn, too old for the face he wore. Carolina turned a got out of the bed. Kol had a point. She was immortal now as was Klaus and Kol and even Rose. She was too caught up thinking that she was a monster that she labeled everyone who was like her too quickly.

"I see," she said as she pulled her chemise on. Kol did nothing as she dressed and then quickly left the room.

She was still thinking about being a vampire and exploring her limits when she bumped into the lord of the manor.

"Hello, darling," Klaus said. His voice was like a grater and a symphony at the same time. "I was just looking for you." His gave her a dimpled smile.

 _You are independent. You are strong._ This was her new mantra. She would not let this man make her bend. "Really? And what for?" she said in the sassiest tone she could muster.

"You did offer to become friends did you not?" When she only nodded he continued. "I thought that you would want to go on ride with me? Unless, of course, you do not trust me." He had this glint in his eye that was challenging her. Daring her to say that she was going to go somewhere with him alone even though she did not trust a word that flowed from his mouth.

"No, I will go with you," she said with a smile.

She just loved challenges.

* * *

"Rose!"

The brunette in question turned around to see the only female Original stomping up towards her. Rose couldn't help, but notice at how beautiful the girl was and feel the tiniest bit insignificant. She looked down as Rebekah tromped towards her and began to fidget with the skirt of her dress. "Yes, Lady Rebekah?" she asked. She was usually so strong willed, but she knew when to be weak and humble and with a teenage girl that has mood swings, now would be that time.

"Rose, I need you to go entertain to doppelgänger while I am gone," Rebekah said. If they were human and in the same social circle Rose would have slapped her. Who was she to talk down at everyone as if she is the only one fit to breathe the air in the room she was in?

"Of course, I shall entertain her till you return." She peeked at Rebekah from under bangs just in time to see her smirk and raise her head a little higher. Rebekah then brushed pass her and disappeared down the hall.

Rose was not stupid. She knew that Rebekah was just dumping the doppelgänger on her and was not going to return. Rose sighed, and she really wanted to speak to Carolina today. She used the speed gifted to a vampire; to run to the room that she knew was to be Rebekah's favorite sitting room. She opened the door to see Katerina sitting in the room sipping at her tea daintily. Rose did not see what all the fuss was about over this girl. Sure she was a doppelgänger and was quite beautiful but in her opinion Carolina was much prettier.

"Hello Rose," Katerina said. Rose smiled at her and went to take a seat across from her. "How is your afternoon going?"

Rose smiled. She did not like this polite chit chat; if she wanted to say something that she should just come out with it. "Good and you?"

"Fine."

They sat in a semi awkward silence with Katerina sipping her tea and Rose nibbling on a biscuit that sat on a saucer. The only sound was the tick-tocking of the clock and the sound of fabric rubbing when they shifted positions.

"Have you spoken to Carolina already?" Katerina suddenly blurted out. Rose took another nibble from her biscuit, placed it on the saucer and raised an eyebrow at the girl.

"Yes, but just before she went to see you this morning; has something happened?" Katerina looked at her feet. Rose knew the girl was anything, but bashful. However it seemed that whatever had happened between the girls was not going to come out of her lips easily. "Come now, Katerina," Rose crooned. "You can tell me. I promise that I shall tell not one soul about whatever troubles you."

The girl sighed then looking at the ground started to murmur her point of view of what had happened.

* * *

Kol sat in a room with his oldest brother.

Many people had said over the years that they had looked alike and maybe they did, but it must be obvious to everyone that he, Kol, was the better looking sibling. Elijah must have thought it a compliment to be compared to his beauty and finesse. The only downside was that people expected them to act in similar ways.

It was quite annoying. It actually may have caused a little rift between the brothers, for past reasons of course.

Though right now sitting with in brother in the great room was actually relaxing. It was nice to just get away from his annoying little sister and his brooding half-brother. Elijah was the essence of calm and wisdom and it was nice to just look out into the gardens and speak with his brother about the world. Still Kol sometimes worried for his brother, no matter how distanced they may become.

"Brother," Kol said as he shook his wine by the stem. The red wine was sloshing around in the cup almost jumping the edge, but not quite. "How do you feel about the girl?"

Elijah chuckled at him. "Which girl? There are many girls in this castle."

"Ha ha, very funny, 'Lijah. You know who I speak of; the doppelgänger."

Elijah's eyes seemed to become a little cooler than usual. "There is nothing to feel. She is the doppelgänger. She will die in the next week when the moon reaches its apex and then…"

Kol looked at him, goading him with his eyes to finish that sentence, but Elijah stayed silent. "Do not stop on my account. If it is Niklaus you fear, then you know better than anyone that I would not tell him a word that you speak. I am not here to interrogate you."

"I feel foolish. I feel something for her like I did Tatia—"

"But she isn't Tatia, 'Lijah. This is Katerina; the doppelgänger that our brother is going to kill. Do not mix your feelings with Tatia for a girl that shares the same face. That will cause nothing but pain; for the both of you."

Elijah looked at him with a sharp glare. "I know that. It is hard not to try and find similarities between the two."

"Then stop seeing the girl before you do something stupid." Kol said as he pulled the wine closer to his lips. "I do not wish for you to end up like Finn."

"Finn will be undaggered as soon as Niklaus becomes a hybrid," Elijah stated confidently, as if it was a god given fact that was irrefutable.

"Mmhm." Kol sipped his wine.

Kol loved his brother he really did. Kol worried for his brother too, but rarely ever. Elijah was smart, wise, and levelheaded.

But honestly, in some situations the man was nothing but a fool with a heart too big, and a mind to narrow.

* * *

"Have your pick."

Klaus watched as Carolina looked around. She stopped to look at one brown horse, but then moved to a white horse. He watched as she looked at all the horses in the stable. He found in amusing to see that she was picky about her horses. Most people just wanted a horse that looked good enough to show off to others. Once all of the horses were "thoroughly examined", Carolina turned to him with a frown on her face.

"Do you have any more horses?" she asked.

"Why?" Klaus smirked, "What are wrong with these ones. I assure you that they are good, fine horses' they are thoroughbreds. Carolina looked to her sides and looked at horses in the stalls next to her.

"I am sure they are, but they are all so…plain."

"Plain?"

"Yes, plain. You see all these horses once, you have seen them all. I want a horse that is different."

"Well, this is just one of many stables. I am sure that we can find you one horse that you will like."

They strode over to the next stable; Klaus's stable, where Carolina found the horse that she wanted to ride immediately. "That one," she pointed. It was a pitch black mare that seemed to have a bluish tint in the light that transcended down into white when in neared in hooves. The horse looked nice. It was Klaus's favorite horse.

"That, darling, is my prized horse Nocturne." He smiled as she gawked at the horse, but wrapped an arm around her when she went towards it to touch it. "Be careful. She bites."

"I want to ride her," she said.

"She'll buck you off. She only allows me to ride her."

Carolina turned her head and smiled at him. "Give me a chance. I'm a vampire now. Am I not invincible?"

"Getting kicked by a horse still hurts."

"It will be worth it."

Klaus let her go; Carolina was too determined to hold her back. If she wanted to learn the hard way well so be it. Carolina inched towards the horse, making a low cooing noise. The horse stomped its foot and threw its head back and forth. Carolina did not waver only inching closer. She got close enough to the horse. She patted its nose and the horse just stomped it feet again until after about a minute or so it stopped suddenly soothed.

Klaus was impressed. No one had ever gotten close to Nocturne, not even the stable boy could get close to her. Somehow the girl had many too. However, that was only a small part of what Klaus was thinking about. Carolina looked so beautiful in that moment. She looked caring, and serene. The light was hitting her at just the right angle that made Klaus itch to have his sketch pad and charcoal with him. This moment needed to be captured onto paper. It almost made Klaus want to crush his lips against her own.

And he did and it was wonderful. He felt something that he had not felt when he slept with the doppelgänger. It felt as if something bright and airy was being poured into his veins. It made Klaus forget about the world and pull Carolina closer to him. He could feel Carolina moving her lips against his, but he wanted more. It was like he was addicted nonetheless it was pulled away from him.

Klaus's eyes shot open as he looked at Carolina as she turned away from him with a small smirk. "You cannot kiss me if you are courting my best friend."

Klaus smirked back. "I can do whatever I want. I am a vampire, love."

"You can do whatever you want, but not with me." She turned away from him and went to the wall to grab a saddle. "Now help me put the saddle on this horse."

Klaus's blood was boiling. He wanted that feeling again. He wanted the feeling of light that she gave him when they kissed; and that was from just a kiss! Imagine what he would feel like if he was touching her, _inside_ of her. Klaus shivered at the thought.

He had already known that she would be a great vampire. Now it was time to see if she would make a good companion and lover.


	14. Chapter 14

**Part One: Chapter Fourteen**

" _ **We all need friends with whom we can speak of our deepest concerns, and who do not fear to speak the truth in love to us.**_ **"—** **Margaret Guenther**

* * *

**[1492/England]**

Rose sat back and pondered what Katerina had told her. Surely, Carolina had control over her vampire side? She did. Carolina had to have control over her emotions. If she didn't she probably would have ripped Katerina's throat out the first chance she got. Klaus would not be very pleased if that ever happened.

Still, Carolina was still an adolescent girl that was suddenly and unwillingly thrown into a world where the monsters under your bed were as real as you were. She would want some type of normalcy and would probably react harshly when her chance at it were ripped away.

Maybe she needed something to cheer her up. And as her friend Rose was obligated to be the one that did that now that Katerina and Carolina had a falling out. Rose smiled. She had been wanting to leave this stuffy castle for a while now.

* * *

Elijah was a silent person. He never let anything in and vice versa. He was efficient and strong and an Original vampire. He was strong. He was invulnerable. It was a fact since the day his mother turned him.

Then what was it about this one girl? What was it about the thought of her existence being erased made his stomach tie in knots or his eyes water? If he said that she was nothing special then he would be lying to himself. She looked like Tatia, but they were nothing alike. Katerina was strong. She was able to handle the world and it seemed like she would fight Klaus when he was going to kill her. She would lose obviously, but she would not be gone for eternity. Elijah had a plan and when it was complete he would turn her and then—

And then what? It was like when Kol asked him yesterday about what he felt for the girl. He could not answer that. He could not answer this. He was being foolish he knew, but something so beautiful could not just disappear. She had a friend that needed her. Surely, the blonde would not like that her friend had left her alone for all eternity.

Yes, Elijah was doing this so that the doppelgänger's friend would not be alone. It was a good enough reason.

"My lord?" Elijah turned to face a small witch. She was the size of a young girl, but had the features of a woman. Her head was bowed so that all Elijah could see was a mop of dusty brown hair. Elijah made a humming noise in his throat telling her to continue speaking. "The spell that you asked for, I may have found a way to keep her alive. It will require another to die though."

Elijah thought it over. Did someone else deserve to die just so the doppelgänger could live? Someone innocent; no they did not deserve to die, but someone guilty did. Luckily, this town was crawling with guilty people.

"We will continue with the spell. I will find someone." Elijah turned and walked away.

Katerina was going to live on forever with her friend and he would… He was pathetic. He still could not finish the sentence. Once Katerina was alive and well and a vampire what would he do? It was too troublesome to think of now. He would think of the end later.

* * *

Carolina closed the door to her room with flushed cheeks.

He kissed her. KLAUS kissed HER! Not Katerina, not someone else, but her. He did not know how badly she wanted that kiss. Take that Katerina! Did Katerina get a kiss from Klaus yet? Nope. But she, Carolina, did! Carolina knew that the kiss happened yesterday, but she still felt the feeling of his lips tingling over her. She needed to celebrate.

"Knock, knock." Rose walked into the room and Carolina brightened. She turned to face her friend and smiled brightly at her. "You seem jovial today."

"I am." Carolina stated happily. Rose smiled.

"I am glad about that. Since you are in such a good mood do you want to go shopping with me?" Rose asked. Carolina clapped her hands.

"Good idea Rose. I have been dying to get a new dress tailored."

The two vampires quickly got the things that they would need and soon found themselves in the town center. The people bustled by, jostling each other as they all tried to get to their destinations. Peddlers and shopkeepers shouted about sales they were having and street children with their stained and tattered clothing splashed murky water that was left from last night's storm. Carolina smiled as she heard the bell dinged as she walked into the seamstress's shop.

The same woman who made her dress for the ball came out from the back room and brightened when she saw Carolina. "Ladies!" she said, her voice soft and timid. She was still as meek as she was when Carolina last saw her. "How was your party? I bet that not one man could keep their eyes off of you!"

"The dress that you made last time was stunning. I must have another," Carolina complimented. The woman blushed at the praise. Carolina turned and started to examine the fabrics that she could have her dress made out of. Red? Nope she already wore that? Blue? No, it made her skin too pale. Purple? That is a possibly.

"So how are you adapting?" Carolina spared a glance at Rose before turning back to the fabrics. Was green in season?

"Good, I believe. I had some questions that needed to be cleared up, but I think I got the hang of it over all," Carolina said rigidly. She did not like talking about how she was doing. She was doing great! Even though every five seconds she has the urge to rip something apart. Other than that everything was peachy.

"Katerina told me that the both of you got into a fight. Was it about Klaus?" Rose prodded. Carolina felt a certain amount of anger swell inside of her. Why was Rose acting like her mother? Carolina was a vampire now; she could do whatever she liked and have whatever she liked without question. She had no need to be coddled like a child.

Carolina turned to glare at Rose. "I have no control over what he does. I no longer care what he does in fact."

"What you said holds little meaning considering that you struck Katerina over it." Carolina frowned as Rose looked at her. Carolina did not like being looked down on as if she was a child.

"She deserved it!" Carolina said. She turned to Rose with a bright fire in her eyes. Katerina deserved every word she threw at her. "She said that through everything we went through! Everything we did together I was nothing but a mere child following her around!" Carolina's eyes were full of tears as she thought of Katerina's hurtful words.

"Through thick and thin you have been with this girl and just because of a man you are going to throw away all those times you were together?" Rose asked as she looked at Carolina. She was only seventeen. She did not want to lose her only friend over a guy! She just could not control herself when her anger got the best of her. She only wanted to protect her best friend.

"Carolina," Rose pulled in Carolina for a hug. "Don't throw away your friendship with her just because of something so petty. People are made into monsters because how little they think of relationships. Go apologize and be friends with her."

Carolina nodded into Rose's shoulder. "And stop crying. You look ugly when you cry," Rose added. Carolina laughed.

* * *

"Wow."

Elijah watched as Katerina turned around to get a good look at the room. Elijah liked the look of elation she had it made him feel superior. He knew that he was not listening to the advice that Kol had given him about staying away from the doppelgänger.

But who could stay away from such beauty.

Katerina was a goddess on earth. Long, flowing hair, matching doe eyes, and toned skin; the dress she wore only amplified her beauty and Elijah was pretty sure that she would look just as good with her clothes—

Elijah cleared his throat as he watched Katerina stroke the spines of books. "You have so many books," Katerina commented. Elijah smiled.

"You said that you loved to read. Any book you wish to read in here is yours," Elijah said smoothly. He plucked a book off the shelf and handed it to her. He hoped that it was a book she would like and did not look at the cover. Katerina gripped the book to her chest and looked up at Elijah from under her lashes.

Elijah could feel his heart begin to beat erratically as he was the swell of her breasts as the book pushed them upwards. His thoughts began to thread on very impolite thoughts and he could not help himself but to try to move a little closer to the girl.

She was everything that Tatia was not and he thought that it would repulse him but it was the opposite. If he could just steal a kiss from her—

"Ahem."

Elijah looked up from Katerina and her tantalizing body to see her friend, Carolina, staring at them with a raised brow. "I hope that I am not interrupting something. However, I need to speak to Katerina." Elijah looked between the two girls and he was well aware, as was the rest of the castle, of their fight. Though the girl did not have long she deserved to die with no regrets.

"I see," he said, his voice a low timbre. "You may stay here and speak if you like. I shall go there are many things I need to prepare for."

He left the room just as Carolina began to speak.

* * *

Carolina looked at the ground and shuffled her feet a little. This was going to be hard to say. She looked up to see that Katerina clutched a large book to her chest. Her eyes trained on a spot on the floor; if Carolina did not start the apology then neither one would talk.

Taking in a shaky breath Carolina began, "Kat. I am very sorry. I had no right to say those things to you or strike you. And I know that you may hate me but I just did not know how to react. You knew I liked him, but if he wanted you then…" Carolina breathed in a sigh. This is where it happened. Where no matter what her twisted little mind wanted she would accept playing second fiddle. "I—"

She was suddenly thrown off balance when something smashed into her chest. She looked down to see Katerina who was tightly hugging her torso muttering her own apologies.

"I said some mean things too. I should not have accepted his invitation to court me or sleep with him." What? When did this happen? Carolina felt a small bubble of anger burst within her but quelled it. AT least she admitted it. "…When I knew how interested you were. I am sorry."

Carolina hugged Katerina back happy to be friends once more. "Kat?"

"Hm?"

"Does this mean were friends again?"

Katerina laughed, "Best friends."

"Good. It's a lot of work to be mad." Carolina said. Katerina laughed and hugged the book she was holding closer to her chest. "What's that?"

Katerina looked down at the book she was clutching and shrugged. "Elijah gave it to me. He said I could take any book from this room."

"Let me see it," Carolina said as she grabbed the book and quickly jumped on a chair. She opened the book to the first page and smiled. "Gather around now for I have a story to tell," she crooned.

Katerina rolled her eyes but stood before her.

"Now this story is the story of the Sun and the Moon."

* * *

_A long time ago before people were able to reason, there was a shaman who lived with his fellow villages. Some of the villagers were human and the rest were monsters. Some villagers were demons with human faces. They were charming and sweet, but drank the blood of the living in order to live forever. The others were beasts with brute strength that was prone to be used in moments of anger. Both were monster with an insatiable blood lust. They called the blood drinkers, vampires and the beasts, werewolves._

_The two monsters roamed the plains where the shaman and his fellow villagers lived. The monsters took villagers picking them off one by one. Women would be lured away in board daylight by the beasts, attracted to them by their taunt muscles and strength. And men would be beckoned into the forest late at night searching for voices that whispered promises sweeter than saccharine._

_The people begged for the shaman to use his magic as a way to ward off these monsters, maybe even kill them, but the shaman refused saying that the monsters were doing what they were meant to do. The villagers were silenced._

_Life went on and people disappeared but new people were born just to replace them. Life moved on as it should._

_The shaman fell in love during that time and started a family of his own. He had two strong sons and loved them dearly, but he had a particular soft spot for his youngest child; a shy little girl that looked just like her mother._

_The shaman loved his daughter with all his heart and soul. If she were to ask for the stars he would do his best to give it to her. She was what he held closet and once she grew she was more beautiful and bright than the sun in the middle of the day._

_The shaman's daughter grew old enough to marry and though her father was sad to see her go he sent her off with a man that he knew would take good care of his precious little girl. The girl and her husband left in search of their own land to build their home._

_The couple walked down the path with their meager belongings and were content. Sadly while walking down the dirt path a beast, a werewolf, attacked them. The husband pulled out his weapon and defended against the beast, yelling at his wife to run back home for help. The girl did as she was told and ran till the sun had left the sky to allow the moon to takes its place._

_The girl walked cautiously knowing that the vampires liked to walk in the night. She had lost too many friends to these demons. As she walked she heard a branch snap behind her, fearing that it was one of these demons she ran towards her home. She could hear something running behind her; following her._

_Just when the shaman's daughter, an innocent little girl, saw the entrance to her home village, she saw the face of her pursuer and nothing more._

_The next morning, the villager gathered around the girl's body. She had no blood and her body was torn as if the wolves had gotten to her. The shaman broke down crying, tearing his clothes as the villagers cried out with him._

" _Look! Look!" the shouted in anguish. "Look at what the monsters do to your daughter! Our village has lost too much! It is time to fight back! It is time for justice!"_

_The shaman could only agree._

_The villager quickly caught a vampire and a werewolf and the shaman quickly showed them a stone the small color and parlor as the moon._

" _Look at this stone! For it will be the savior of one race but the bane of another!" the shaman said._

_The shaman cast a spell stating that the vampires would burn and cripple in the sun and the wolves would only be able to become beast when the moon is full. The shaman made sure that the two monsters would fight by stating that if one broke the spell he cast the other and its descendants would suffer it for the rest of eternity._

_With his dying breath the shaman told the villagers to hide the moonstone and spread word of what he did._

_The spell needed the death of both a vampire and werewolf and the presence of the moonstone. But the last ingredient was the hardest to find, the blood of a doppelgänger._

_Until the doppelgänger appeared the two monsters would fight for the right to be true monsters once again._

* * *

Carolina put the book down and stared at it.

Katerina shivered. "That was a terrifying tale."

"I am afraid that it is true."

Both women turned to see Trevor who was staring morbidly at the book.


	15. Chapter 15

**Part One: Chapter Fifteen**

" _ **Deceiving others. That is what the world calls a romance."**_ **— Oscar Wilde**

" _ **Romantic love is mental illness. But it's a pleasurable one. It's a drug. It distorts reality, and that's the point of it. It would be impossible to fall in love with someone that you really saw."—**_ **Fran Lebowitz**

" _ **Friends can help each other. A true friend is someone who lets you have total freedom to be yourself - and especially to feel. Or, not feel. Whatever you happen to be feeling at the moment is fine with them. That's what real love amounts to - letting a person be what he really is."**_ **― Oscar Wilde**

* * *

**[1492/England]**

Donatella breathed deeply. The damp, musky smell of the dungeon she was in filled her lungs, but Donatella's senses were off as she felt the ecstasy of power flow through her veins. The Recessit's power felt like warmed oil. It felt good, but you couldn't help but feel odd.

Smiling, Donatella focused on gathering her magic. Killing Klaus was not going to be easy. He was old and age was an important factor in the supernatural world but then again so was power. And Donatella had a surplus of it. She could feel it as it whipped through her hair and pounded like a second heartbeat. She could do this.

She could do this. Her smile grew wider as more power rushed to her.

Damnation was approaching.

* * *

Carolina tossed and turned.. She could not sleep. Heavy rain was pounding at the windows of her room and Carolina could not help but think that something bad was coming. Of course something bad was coming her best friend was scheduled to die next week.

Caroline frowned more. Klaus was trying to kill her best friend. But _certainly_ it was for a good cause. He was going to allow all vampires to go back into the sun; allow her to go back into the sun. And if that allowed her to go out into the sunlight like a regular person then surely what Klaus was doing was justified, right?

Shame suddenly wrapped its arm around her. What was she thinking? What was she doing trying to justify Klaus's premeditated murder plot. This was Katerina's life she was thinking about she could not let her friend die.

But wouldn't it be easier too?

With Katerina gone Carolina could finally get all the attention she deserved. Carolina could have Klaus and get married and _be happy_. Finally she could be on top.

No. No. No.

_No._

Carolina frowning intensified (she really needed to stop frowning so much or else she would get wrinkles) and she gripped her blonde hair tightly as she tugged roughly at it. She could not think those kind of thoughts. It was her jealousy and madness that got her into this position in the first place. Carolina would not allow it to dig her into a deeper hole.

It was time to think about other things like the fact that Katerina can't look at you anymore because you are a blood sucking demon.

Yes, it was going to be a _long_ night.

* * *

Katerina's window over looked Klaus's beautiful gardens. The flowers transitioned from light to dark leaving no color out. It represented Katerina's mood as of late.

Sleeping had done nothing but to give her horrible nightmares about her friend trying to eat her. It did not help also that the first thing she looked to for comfort for these dreams was Carolina's dream catcher. Katerina sighed and turned over in her bed. This was supposed to be her happily ever after and it turned out to be a thinly veiled nightmare. Her Prince was a devil with an angel's appearance, her best friend was turned into one of the lesser devils, and as it turned out Katerina did not even own her own face.

Katerina got off the bed to wander to the vanity and look into the mirror. All she saw in the little candle light that she had was a girl with brown eyes and hair and olive skin to compliment it. She raised her hand, tentatively touching her face as she watched herself in the mirror. Katerina did not have her own face. Everything from head to toe was all part of a set: the doppelgänger set

Did she even have the same personality as the past doppelgänger? Was she even her own person? Or someone doomed to live and die and not remember a thing about her past lives? No. It might be possible to have the same face but not the same personality. Katerina smiled. If she was destined to be part of a set then she would not blend into history as another no named copy. Oh no.

Katerina was not a Petrova for nothing. No, of Katerina was going to go down in history, she would go down as _THE_ doppelgänger. Not just a doppelgänger. And in order to do that she needed to live.

And thanks to Trevor she would.

* * *

Trevor sat staring into the fire that crackled in his fire place. The flames snapped up then died down in his fire place, looking to see which piece of flame could jump the highest. It was odd that fire was what poets used most to describe life. It lived but destroyed the very thing it needed for survival, essentially killing itself slowly. Was that life? If not then surely it must just describe his.

Trevor leaned back into his chair, slumping down in it lower than he had been before. "What am I doing?" he whispered to himself. He brought a pipe to his lips and took in a quick puff of the tobacco.

"That is a disgusting habit."

An easy smile crawled up Trevor's lips, though he still faced the fire. "You just hate the smell of the smoke," he countered, blowing smoke out of his nose.

"That is what makes it disgusting." Rose made herself visible and sat down on an armchair, her feet dangling off one side. "I thought you had stopped fifty years ago."

"I'm stressed."

"Over what? You have the doppelgänger, you gave her to Klaus. What else could you be stressed over?"

Trevor took a quick puff of his pipe.

"Everything really." Trevor took another hefty puff of his pipes and Rose watched as the smoke curled out of his mouth then into thin wisps of air stinking up the room.

"You need to relax Trevor. Soon all will be well," Rose reassured. Trevor highly doubted it.

* * *

_Remember the plan Carolina! Just remind yourself of its importance!_

Klaus's presence to Carolina was like sun light straight to the skin, right now. It burned her to see the man that she used to pine for act all sweet and kind to both her and her best friend. He had the face of an angel but the cunning of a devil and it made her stomach turn.

"Come now sweetheart, tell me what's bothering you." Carolina looked up from her lap and sent a weak smile in Klaus's direction. Previously, Carolina would have been jumping at the chance to be alone like this with him, but then she would beat herself back down and become the confident and independent woman that she was trying to be.

Klaus returned her smile with a dimpled smirk. "What makes you think anything is bothering me?" Carolina said, looking at him from under her lashes. She felt sick doing this; distracting Klaus with her body while Trevor made plans for their escape. It made her feel like she was back at the opera house, trying to pleasure her clients.

"Well you are silent instead of babbling which I adore much more," Klaus said with a certain twinkle in his eyes. Carolina almost melted before she reminded herself that this man was trying to kill her best friend.

" _You have to distract him."_ Carolina smiled again and wished that the man had at least one imperfection that she could point out with her enhanced eyes. If she could, doing this would be so much easier.

Caroline looked around the room. Doing what she was doing, did that make her a bad person? The man was trying to kill her best friend but according to what Trevor had told her and what she read, he was doing this so that all vampires could walk in the sunlight without being burned.

But did that make Klaus the good guy?

"I was thinking about my life before I met you," Carolina said. It was not a complete lie. Life was so much simpler when she was a human. She had Katerina and all she really had to worry about was who was going to care for Katerina when Carolina inevitably lost her mind at eighteen. Now she had to worry about distracting Klaus so that Trevor could lay the proper plan so that Katerina and she could both escape with their lives.

Oh, the woes of an eternally seventeen year old vampire!

"How was life before you met me? Boring is what I assume." Klaus said. Carolina giggled.

"Yes, it was a little boring, but simple. It was quite nice now that I think about it." Why did she leave?

"So," Carolina chirped, not liking how the mood was turning sour. "What about your life?"

Klaus smirked at her, "I have lived many lives, sweetheart. Which life are you asking about?"

"The most exciting one."

Klaus smiled and leaned back. Carolina slowly sucked in her breath. The light was hitting his face in such a way that his eyes and hair shone giving him an ethereal look. He looked so young and innocent. As if he was not a thousand years old, but a young man with many possibilities laid out in front of him.

 _He's a killer Carolina! He is trying to kill your best friends. He's a killer. He's a killer. He's a killer._ Carolina reminded herself. He made it too damn easy to forget who he was.

"I believe my most exciting life was when I was fighting in a war." Carolina's head snapped up to look at him with an emotion akin to shock on her face. Klaus simply grinned. "I was very bored at the time so I decided to join a war. I forgot which war it was because I have seen so many of them in my time, but I knew that it was exciting."

"Yes," Carolina snorted. "Killing hundreds must have really been entertaining." Klaus' smile disappeared slightly as the comment reached his ears. Caroline quickly covered her mouth at what she had just said and quickly tried to make amends. "I'm sorry. I have a very loose tongue that seems to enjoy getting me into trouble…" Carolina started to ramble and did not notice Klaus's shoulders shaking.

Soon enough Klaus threw his head back in laughter, scaring Carolina. He gave her a wide smile as he leaned closer to her his lips almost grazing her own.

"You know killing would be much more fun if I had a partner. Someone who is beautiful…" Klaus' hands were grazing her sides and Carolina couldn't help, but shiver. This felt good, but wrong. She wanted this, she wanted this so badly! But the circumstances of the situation that she was in; that he had put her in. "But," Klaus added quickly. "I want someone who isn't afraid to get her hands a little dirty."

Was it wrong that she felt that part of her stirring at his words? The madness that she tried to kept such a tight leash on was stirring loudly inside her, echoing through her body making her imagination run wild. Oh, the blood and screams they could drown in together! It would be glorious. They would be on top. They would have power.

Carolina stared at him, a sweet smile on her face but a flame in her eye. "If my dress gets soiled, are you willing to buy me a new one?"

Klaus smiled and kissed her. It was really improper to kiss like they were all teeth and tongue. If a maid had walked in they probably wouldn't have noticed to absorbed in each other and the feeling of something hot and cold pouring into their skin as their lips touched. They never parted, knowing that they had no need to breathe.

Sadly, if they did look up just once, they would have noticed Rose peeking in through the doors with a look of disappointment in her eyes.

* * *

Elijah did not know what was wrong.

Katerina would not look at him or even breathe the same air as him. As soon as he got into the same room that she was occupying, the woman left in a flurry of silk and lace. The man wondered whether it was something he had said that last time that they were together, but as he reviewed his thoughts he could not remember anything that he may have said that could have been seen as offensive.

"Sir?"

Elijah turned to his witch. He nodded his eyes still glazed over with thought as she held out a light pink potion in her hands.

"The potion you requested is complete. It would serve you well to know that it will only work on the doppelgänger and no one else. Elijah nodded as he took the potion into his hands. Whether Katerina and he were on speaking terms or not he was determined to ensure her survival.

* * *

Trevor panted as he came down from his high. Pleasure was still shooting through his body and he looked down at his partner.

He had never thought that he would be so lucky as to catch the heart of this beautiful woman, but he had and he was thankful for it. He let himself fall, using her breast as a cushion.

She laughed, the vibrations thrumming down his body. "Do you love me Trevor?" she asked.

"More than anything, Katerina," he answered. Why bother ask? Was their love making not enough to prove that fact to her.

Katerina ran her hand through his hair and he hummed, liking the feeling as she rubbed his scalp with her tender fingers. "Then when are we leaving here? When will you make sure I am safe?" she asked. Worry was painted all over her tone and Trevor felt the urge to protect and reassure her more than anything consume him like fire. He shifted to his elbows so that he could lean over and kiss her, hoping that some of his confidence and love would go into her reassuring her of his plan.

"The day of the sacrifice the castle will be in so much disorder that they will not pay much attention to us. The Originals will send me to watch over you to keep you safe. We will leave then." A frown was now marring her face.

"But is that not too close to the date?"

"Do not worry my love I will keep you safe," Trevor smiled. Katerina gave a small groan as Trevor left kisses down her slender neck.

"You want more already?"

"I always want more."

* * *

"When do you think you can get here, Mikael?"

"Give or take two days."

"Good, you will be here long before the sacrifice starts."

"Then start the preparations."

"I already have."


	16. Chapter 16

**Part One: Chapter Sixteen**

" _ **New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings."—**_ **Lao Tzu**

* * *

**[1492/England]**

Today was the day.

Today was the day when she and Katerina would make their grand escape. Today was the day when they were to triumph over Klaus. Today was the day Katerina would win her life.

Carolina woke up that morning with a heavy sense of foreboding. There was a heaviness in the air. Even though she had drank numerous glasses of water she could still taste the iron of her last meal.

The night before Carolina had gone on a binge with Klaus. They wandered the city killing and feeding to their heart's content. Her mind was a haze of bloodlust and with Klaus it felt right and appropriate. With him she could let her mind be the disgusting vile bag of cats that it was.

With Klaus she could give into her insanity. But then there was always the inevitable downfall.

The moment that she returned back to her room her actions hit her. The mantra of no resounded in her head as she scrubbed herself clean of all the blood. She drank jugs and jugs of water to wash the taste of blood from her mouth but the iron lingered. How could she protect Katerina when she was monster herself? Should she even protect Katerina?

The thought popped innocently enough into her head but she was too late to stop the idea from continuing.

Should she stop Klaus? If she did then she may never be able to go into the sun like she used to. If she did not then she would have Katerina and incur Klaus' wrath and hatred. And she really wanted Klaus to hate her. But then again she never really did like Katerina to begin with and—

No! Carolina hit her head roughly. She continued to do it again and again. Katerina was her friend! Katerina, who ran away with her. Katerina who always was there. Katerina who stood by her. That was the Katerina that she was going to stay and protect. That was the Katerina that she was going to fight for.

Or was she.

A sigh left Carolina's lips and she fell back onto the pillows and sheets of her bed.

She needed to come to a decision.

* * *

Klaus strutted nervously back and forth. This was the day that he had been waiting for five hundred years. He had pillaged villages for the moonstone. He had forced witches to his side and made them all tirelessly study the curse until they could repeat it to him backwards and in all the languages that they knew. He had daggered all his siblings if they left him down in pursuit for one of ingredients.

But now, Klaus was about to sow all the fruits of his labor.

Klaus was about to be whole.

Something stirred in him, his wolf, it was restless as he was. It was as if it could sense that the chains that kept it dormant was weakening. His wolf could scent his impending freedom.

Klaus scratched at his skin and sighed. He wished that he could be everywhere at once. He wished that there was a way that he could monitor everyone's movements. He wished that there was a way to make sure that everything was going smoothly.

"Be still brother," Kol's voice intoned behind him, "or else you might release your wolf too early." Klaus let out a low growl as he turned from behind his desk to watch Kol saunter in. Kol peered out of the window, narrowing his eyes as he started right into the sun. "My it isn't even dark yet! And what would the town think if their beloved Lord turned into a bloodthirsty monster."

Klaus revealed a rakish grin. "I already am. I'll gladly show you how bloodthirsty I can be if you do not leave this instant."

Kol shrugged his shoulders and completely disregarded his warning. Kol threw himself into one of the chairs in front of the desk and sighed into his hand. "Yes, yes. I know you are a monster Nik, we all do. You're displays of power are enough reassurance no need to announce it."

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "Why are you here?" Kol knew better than to come and to waste his time before such a momentous occasion. Kol was smarter than that, so there had to be a purpose. There always was with Kol.

"I'm here to congratulate my brother had his big day!" Kol beamed up at him. "And…to announce that after tonight, well after the ritual I am departing for Turkey?"

"Leaving? Or running?"

"Running?"

Klaus laughed if there was one thing that he understood it was running. It had been doing it all his life. And Kol, he reeked of the stench of fear. He was scared that his big brother was amassing power and Kol was being left in the dust with all the others. Kol and Klaus had a peculiar relationship. One could compare it to a fencing match; the two were constantly trying to get the drop on the other. The two brothers were always trying to amass more power and skill than the other. Kol had his witches and Klaus, well, all he really needed was himself.

"Why yes brother," Klaus chuckled. "Finally admitting defeat? Ready to admit that I, your dear old big brother, am stronger than you?"

Kol frowned at him. "I refuse to coddle your ego. This obsession of yours with this curse will not help you anyways. Father will always—"

Klaus harshly slammed his hands down on the desk. He threw Kol a hard stare. " _Father_ ," Klaus spit the word like the curse it was, "doesn't stand a chance. Once I have ascended to my full strength it doesn't matter how much power Father or you gain. I will always be the most powerful! I will become the strongest creature on this damn Earth!"

Kol leaned away from him. His face was a cool mask as he simply rose from the chair and straightened out his coat. "I hope you enjoy that." And with that he was gone.

Klaus growled and swiped everything off the desk. He gave a loud shout as he broke the desk. The sharp crack that resounded in the room relaxed the hellfire that was burning within him. He _would_ become the most powerful being in the world and no one would be able to stop him!

Klaus stomped on the broken desk.

_He would! He would! He would!_

* * *

"Are you ready?"

Katerina looked into the jade eyes of Rebekah and laughed. She really wanted to sneer, but she could not give herself away. Rebekah and she were playing one last game. Rebekah said she wanted to play because Klaus was going to take her away tonight. Katerina decided to amuse her.

No one was going to take her anywhere tonight. She and Carolina were going to escape and they were going to be happy. The plan was already in place and she could see what the Trevor meant when he said that the house would be madness. The hallways were filled to the brim with maid and servants rushing around. No one knew exactly why they were so nervous but there was something in the air that spoke of perfection.

Today demanded perfection and Klaus was being harsher than usual today. A maid was beheaded she heard the servants whisper and Katerina shuddered. That would not be her. Not today and not anytime soon.

"Ready!" Katerina answered. Rebekah laughed and tied the blindfold. She then felt Rebekah take a ring off of her finger and march away to hide it. Katerina stood there blind as she heard the ruffling of Rebekah's skirts somewhere to her right. It gave Katerina time to ponder.

How could this girl be related to the monster that wanted to kill her? How could one girl be so evil as to allow for her murder in cold blood? It mattered not that she was the doppelgänger and that her blood was the only one that could lift these monsters of their terrible affliction. She was as deserving of life as they were. She deserved to live.

The blindfold lifted from her eyes and she Katerina made a show of looking excitedly. She honestly did not care where the other girl hid her ring. To be honest she just wanted to leave the room and go and rest for a while, but she had to be here and put up pretenses like the rest of them. Katerina looked all around the room, she moved everywhere and lifted cushion and even bent to look under the couch of the sitting room, but she could not find her ring anywhere.

"Where is it?" Katerina huffed. Rebekah rolled her eyes and walked over to a table that held a vase of flowers. Rebekah lifted the ring and waved it tauntingly at her. "I looked there!"

"I know you did," Rebekah replied. "You overlooked it. That is one thing that I hope you learn from all of this, hiding in plain sight is the easiest but most efficient way of hiding."

Katerina nodded. She would remember to use that when she was on the run from them. "Thank you for this, Rebekah."

The other girl sniffed. _Hiding in plain sight_ , Katerina thought, _the best way to keep hidden_.

* * *

She did not want to do this.

She _really_ did not want to do this.

But it had to be done.

Rose walked forward, her hand nervously fluttering about her. She kept fixing her hair or patting down her dress or touching her face for blemishes that she knew would never sprout. Anyone who looked at her could tell that she was nervous and Rose tried had to quell the dark feeling that rose from her stomach.

She needed to do this.

Rose gave a few quick raps at the door in front of her and patted her skirt one last time. The door opened with a loud creak.

"Hello Caroline," Rose smiled, "I need to speak with you."

* * *

Katerina jumped from one foot to the other and Trevor followed the movement with his eyes. She was so beautiful that it was almost painful. She just radiated innocence and goodness. How could Klaus want to harm this angel? Because that was what she was; an angel. There was no way that she could be anything else. Doppelgänger and human were just covers an angel would use.

"Where are they?" Katerina nervously eyes the setting sun. "We went over this plan several times. They should be here by now."

Trevor gave his angel a loving smile. Look at her worrying about the wellbeing of those she needn't to. She was so kind. "Worry not, Katerina. Rose will take care of everything." He hoped that she would take care of everything. It would have been too suspicious if he had been the one to approach Caroline in her rooms. Besides with the way that Kol and Klaus sniffed around her Trevor would have been asking for death if he approached her room.

Rose came out with a hood over her head. She nodded minutely at Trevor and he smiled. Good, she did what needed to be done. "Come now, Katerina. We need to go."

Katerina looked at him aghast. "No, Carolina is in there! We need to wait for her! She is to come with us."

Trevor walked over to her and lifted her into his arms. "There is no time. You need not concern yourself with her any longer."

Katerina's eyes widened. She clutched his shirt so tightly in her small hands that they turned white. She looked wildly between the two vampires as she muttered no. She eyed Rose's hands and while they had no blood on them she knew that those were the hands that harmed her friend. "No, Trevor what did you do?"

"Kept you safe and sound." He leaned in for a kiss but she smacked his chest with her small fists.

"What did you do?"

"We should leave now Trevor."

The two vampire ran off at high speed away from the castle and with the girl that Klaus had spent so much time looking for.

Donatella looked down as the vampires flew through the forest.

She needed to alert Mikael that there would be a change in plans.

* * *

Klaus walked down the flight of stairs, he was rushing around trying to find the moonstone. He just needed to see it. He needed to know that everything would be alright. He had passed Katerina before he came here to his study, so he knew that she was okay. Trevor was by her side as instructed.

Klaus bent down and lifted a box from the chest in his study.

A sharp cry escaped his lips and he dropped the box. His head was pounding and exploding. He fell to his knees and he clutched his head. Klaus cracked his eyes opened to see his witch, Donatella staring down at him with the darkest look he had ever seen on her face.

"What is the meaning of this witch?"

"This is justice."


	17. Chapter 17

**Part One: Chapter Seventeen**

" _ **Why does the rest of the world put up with the hypocrisy, the need to put a happy face on sorrow, the need to keep on keeping on?... I don't know the answer, I know only that I can't."**_ ― **Elizabeth Wurtzel**

" _ **Every life has a measure of sorrow, and sometimes this is what awakens us."**_ ― **Steven Tyler**

* * *

**[1492/England]**

There was a flurry of activity all around him, but chaos was where Kol thrived. Everyone was flitting this way and that trying to set up everything to prevent upsetting his brother. They were all clamoring around, each one of the servant pushing another out of the way to finish their tasks. Kol moved around them, in the sea of madness but not a part of it.

Did no one see that his brother was nothing more than a grown man with a child's impulse? A man with the temperament of a child?

Kol let his eyes flit around the bustling hallway but continued on. If they were too controlled by fear and ignorance too see beyond the visage of violence and blood then who was he to attempt to enlighten them?

He was in his room faster than anyone could blink and he moved about the room, packing bags and generally destroying any and all evidence that he had ever step foot into the room. His brother would do the same once he broke his curse and all that. Unless he intended to stay here and fight their father once and for all, end this game that they had been playing.

It mattered not, Kol would not bear witness to that battle or the devastation that it would wrought. As another chest was slammed shut, the door to his room creaked open. Kol did not stop his packing but his eyes did flicker to the sound.

"Leaving so soon?"

Kol laughed as another chest was packed and shut. "Why yes, Elijah. Any and all grandiose lectures about family and togetherness can wait until the next time we meet can they?"

Elijah sighed and entered the room. Kol still whirled around at top speed, moving around his brother since he stood solitary in the once full room. "I have no ideation that my talks with you have an effect on you, but Kol…"

"I thought you said there would be no speech, 'Lijah!"

"Kol, listen here. You are far too old to be running from father. We all are, Klaus will break his curse tonight, and if we all stand with him together. We would be a force to be reckoned with."

Another chest slam shut and Kol began to push them towards the door. He was debating on whether it would be faster for him to put them in to a carriage himself…but then he would still have to awake animal caretaker and fetch the driver. Elijah continued.

"When we are united in front of the witches and the werewolves they can do nothing but tremble before us. Now it is Mikael's turn."

Maybe Kol could drive the carriage himself? How hard could it possibly be? Sure animals were slightly afraid of him due to his nature as a predator, but usually after extended exposure they tend to calm and listen. Huh, driving the carriage did not sound so bad after all. He was always up for trying something new.

"Kol…please said with us."

Yes…fleeing was possible. Now where was Carolina? The girl had to come with him. She would make such a marvelous companion. And he saw the looks that his brother gave her. Leaving with him would be such a good way to spite him. One last chance at gaining the upper hand in this long drawn out chess game that they played. Oh, now this journey sounded oh so appealing.

"KOL!"

"No! Elijah, no!" Kol's back was tense, fist clenched. "There will be none of this standing together as you want? Where will Finn be when we are all standing like a united army? A wounded family against their blight father?"

Elijah let out the smallest of sighs, "You know why Finn cannot be let out. He would throw himself into the stake rather than fight against it entering his chest."

"You know I suggested the same thing none too long ago. Was it back in Transylvania? Or was it in Germany? I suggested the same thing to you all several times. A united front. Family cannot take on all of us. But now, you claim that we were too weak. You said we have no power."

"But now," Kol made wild gestures with his hands, fluid and erratic. "Now, _Nik_ gains a little beast that has a little edge and all of a sudden family means something to you? Suddenly 'always and forever' is extended to Finn and I? We are suddenly Mikaelsons when you need us? No, _brother_. Kill Mikael with this united front. Finn and I were never invited to the party."

Elijah looked particularly cowed but Kol paid no mind to it. He had a girl to go get and a carriage to fill.

* * *

"What have you done?! Carolina!? Carolina!? Ca―"

Trevor's large meaty hands were suddenly over her mouth and nose, restricting the air that could enter in. Katerina beat at his hands and bit at them. He finally let go, just long enough to suck in some air and scream. The world spun around her, and Katerina knew that Trevor was using his vampire speed. He wished that Rose was here, but she had left to scout ahead a clear route.

Katerina's back firmly met with the harsh bark of a tree but she was staring into Trevor's darting eyes. His eyes moved everywhere, rolling around his their sockets until Katerina almost feared that they would fall out. Trevor sighed when the threat that he feared did not seem to be present.

"Katerina, my love, please you need to be silent. If they hear you they will―"

Katerina stared at him with stubborn eyes. "Why has Rose gone? And where is Carolina? I refuse to move another step without her by my side?" Trevor sighed almost frantic at the thought of her stationary stance but calmed himself. Katerina open her mouth again, a shout scratching at her throat but Trevor quickly began to talk to her again.

"Katerina, darling please. Rose went to stop Carolina from following us. She could not come with us," said Trevor. And that gave her pause. Carolina could not come with them? Why? She voiced her thought.

Trevor looked uncomfortable with the thought. But Katerina persisted. In a low and still voice she commanded, "Tell me why Carolina is not here with us? She is my friend."

"Katerina…"

"No. If you love me you will tell me. If you had even an ounce of love and respect for me you will tell me!"

"Love and respect?" Trevor intoned lowly. Katerina nodded her head. Heat simmered between them. Katerina throwing daggers and Trevor, his face stale.

"When have I not loved a respected you?" Trevor asked. He continued without an answer. "I have respected you the moment you made your wish to leave the home of the Mikaelsons known to me. I have loved you since the moment that we escaped from the Originals! I have cared for you all you to this point! And now you, you petulant puny child, wish to question me!—and my motives when all I have ever done is love and respect YOU!"

As he spoke his voice grew in strength and volume, the visage of Trevor melted away to show malevolent blood stained eyes and white fangs. Katerina shrunk away from him scared of what he could do to her when he was like this. Trevor had never gotten mad at her before. He had never exhibited any negative emotions towards her.

But now she had provoked the bear and she was scared.

"You, girl, have no right to question me!" A fist slammed into the trunk of the tree, the girl jumped away. He could hurt her like this. He wasn't in control of himself.

Her hands inched into her sleeve where she kept a small garrote, a weapon that she never thought that she would need. One that Caroline had given her. Trevor loomed above her, ever close and wanting. And fear rolled off her to appease him.

His rave continued. "You will show me the respect I deserve! The love I deserve!" His arms wrapped around her and he pulled her in close. His lips pressed against her own with bruising force. The joints in her arms popped. Fumbling, her hands caught the garrote from her sleeve and she slivered her hands from in between their pressed bodies to around his neck.

Katerina kissed him back. She needed air. She needed to end this soon.

Trevor moaned and pulled away.

She had her moment.

Even as she gasped for breath, Katerina was quick in wrapping the garrote around his neck. And then she pulled. Trevor's eyes bulged out of his head and they looked towards her. He quickly pushed her away and she stumbled and fell against the tree. Trevor coughed, his hoarse voice asking for an explanation.

Katerina was quick and she dug into her pouch for the powdered vervain she kept there. She tossed it and cringed as it sizzled against her lover's skin. He hissed but Katerina was on him again, a small fallen branch in hand.

She stabbed him in the chest. Before jabbing him in the throat.

" _When in danger always remember this: to snap a neck just push up and twist."_

Trevor was recovering from the vervain burns and she looked quite put out. Katerina rested her hands on his neck. She prayed that this would work. She tilted his head up and pushed and pushed and pushed and pushed—

Something gave and a sickening snap resounded around her.

Trevor collapsed and Katerina watched the body fall.

She had done that. She had ended Trevor, if only temporarily. Katerina sighed and looked around. Should she go back and look for Carolina? No, no it was too dangerous for her there and the sun was getting low. It was almost time for the ritual. If she went back now she would be on time to die.

Katerina was not in favor of dying.

She picked up her garrote. Katerina had to continue on. She had to keep going. Carolina…she was a vampire and she seemed to know to take care of herself. If Katerina was a vampire she would never have to struggle as much as she just did. Fight Trevor would be easier.

She eyed his body.

Katerina was in favor of living.

* * *

Kol knew the moment that he entered the room that something was wrong.

Nothing was outright wrong with Carolina's room but something was just off. Maybe it was residual witch magic that resided within him but something was terribly wrong.

Her room was too clean and the window was open. Carolina almost never had to window open despite how much she enjoyed the sunlight. She preferred the gardens over the filtered light of a window. Second her vanity was not set up the way that she enjoyed. Her perfume glasses were clutter together when everything about Carolina was strict when it came to organization.

Kol may not have lived in this room, but he noticed enough to know that something was wrong.

There was a large lump on the feather bed of Carolina's room. Kol stalked closer to it keeping his knees bent to center himself should whatever that lump may be decides to lunge. His fingers grabbed hold of the sheet and with no bravado Kol ripped the sheet away. Only to reveal a broken Carolina.

Her neck was bent at the oddest angle and both her knees were broken, they almost appeared shattered. Her clothing was wrinkled obvious from the struggle that she gave as she tried to resist her attacker. Annoyance prickled at the back of his head but he did not falter.

Kol set the bones in the correct position and then went on to bite his own wrist open. "Drink up, Carolina, we have no time for you to be resting," he muttered impatiently. At first the blood did nothing but gather at the sides of her mouth and slide down the sides of her chin, but the moment a drop was able to slide down her throat her instincts kicked in. Her fangs were around and scraped at his wound keeping it open long enough that she was able to suckle.

He could hear the bones resetting into their proper positions and pulled away at the exact moment that Carolina reached to bring his arm closer to her wanting mouth. She growled at him, displeased but Kol growled back.

"Get up, pack your things," commanded Kol. Carolina's eyes flickered around the room assessing where she was as she tried to understand everything that had happened to her. Kol did not time for this folly, his father could be upon them any second.

"Pack, Carolina," Kol said once more. Carolina only looked around the room once more before her gaze rested on him. Her hands crept up to her neck.

"She killed me," was all Carolina could get out.

Kol rolled his eyes. "Death is temporary for us. She, whoever she is, only put you down for a quick nap. Nothing more. Now _pack_."

"And after everything we had gone through together I thought that she was my friend…" A low burning anger roused deep in Carolina's eyes and while the thought of vengeance and chaos were amusing to him, _they needed to go_.

If she was not going to pack…

Kol darted around the room throwing things into the chest at the end of her bed. Carolina watched fuming. "We were friends and she killed me. Rose killed me!"

Now, that gave Kol pause. "Rose? What kind of spat did you get into?"

The blonde girl seemed to debate over telling him but by then he no longer cared. He had returned to the task at hand.

"Why are you packing my things? Did Klaus say we are moving somewhere?"

A sneer almost etched itself onto his face, "No, _we_ , only you and I, shall be leaving."

"What? Why?"

"Because I say so!" Kol closed the chest with vindication. Carolina looked troubled by the thought of leaving. Don't tell him that she became enamored with his dichotomous brother also. "We are leaving. Now. I'll let you choose where we are to go."

"I cannot leave! The curse!"

Kol raised a brow. "And how exactly do you know about the curse, hm?"

"Trevor and Klaus explained everything. I…I need to make sure that Klaus releases us from this curse. Don't you want to walk in the sunlight, Kol?"

For the longest time all Kol could do was stare at her. There was no way that the girl could be that naïve. It was impossible. It was so obvious that everything that Nik was doing was for his own personal gain. He cared nothing for the others and whether they gained the ability to wander underneath the sunlight or not. Klaus cared for no one but himself.

He laughed. Kol laughed right into the ever so hopeful face of Carolina. He laughed even harder when he saw that hop dissolving into confusion and rage. He wiped a tear from his eye. She was still a child in this world. He sometimes forgot that she was not as old as him.

"Why do you laugh? This is a serious matter! We can walk in the sun!" Carolina argued. But the older vampire said nothing as his chuckles quieted. He knew that she was waiting for an answer so he waited until he was more composed to give her the response she seeked.

"Oh, I forget that no one but we know the true nature of the curse," his cacophonous laughter was smoothing over into small chuckles. He continued. "You truly believe that my brother cares about the good of the vampire race? You think he honestly cares whether you or I am able to walk outside in the light and not burn? 500 years and I have never heard my brother utter a word of concern towards any of the vampires we have made."

"The true nature of the curse?" Carolina asked.

Kol was about to open his mouth but a loud crash came from somewhere inside the house. Kol furrowed his eyebrows and was about to disregard it as his brother throwing one of his nervous tantrums, but then he heard the scream.

" _Release me witch!"_

Carolina and Kol exchanged a curious glance. Kol's eyes darted to the chest. "You should leave."

"And what are you going to do?"

"Save my brother obviously."

* * *

She was going to destroy the monster.

He had taken everything away from her everything!

He deserved everything that was coming to him.

She would be rewarded for this. Yes, Donatella would be rewarded for what she is doing. She would be heralded as the witch that wiped the Original scum from the face of the planet.

Yes, yes, yes. Rewards and commendation would await her.

The power talked to her. Warned her of another threat approaching. Her hand shot out. Her magic gripped the brother. No, not the older and definitely not the hybrid. It was the magic loving one.

She tossed him aside. She would have to deal with that one later.

It was the hybrid she wanted.

She walked slowly. She was sure that her power would protect her, warn her of any and all incoming threats. She was not dumb she would kill the hybrid and then she would have to go after his family

But that was later she had to kill this monster first.

The hybrid rose from his kneeling position. She had not let up on her assault on his head but he fought against the pain. A valiant but still futile effort on his part. Donatella gave a small smirk.

"Do not think witch that this will not go unpunished," the hybrid growled. He leaned against the desk, fighting the pain and sneering at her. Though it looked more like a snarl. His face was a mask of pain and anger.

"How can I take one seriously when they are obviously in so much pain…" she muttered. She knew the hybrid would hear it. Once the sound hit his ears his visage became more enraged than she had ever seen it before. His anger allowed him to ignore the obvious pain that she was inflicting.

Klaus moved, but his movements were sluggish and sloppy. It was obvious that he was going to bite her or something equally damaging to her person. Her smiled became more savage. Klaus ran straight towards her. Donatella smiled and with a simple flick of her wrist she sent his body twisted across the room.

Klaus landed with a sickening crack.

She chuckled lightly and used her magic to keep him down.

"Release me witch!"

Donatella smiled. "No!"

She was going to hurt him; she was going to _kill_ him.

Something crashed into her body.

Donatella was confused at first, her mind wandering to what it could have been that was preventing her from her kill. But her mind quickly caught up with the rest of her thoughts and she noticed the hands.

Hands were hugging her neck and squeezing the life out of her literally. She gave a hoarse choke. Donatella's face began to glow red as she beat at the hands on her neck. There was no relief there was nothing but the hands crushing her neck, making her windpipe narrower and narrower.

Donatella released all the pent up power inside of her. She let out a torrent of it on her assailant, pushing the power out _out out_ in order to push her enemy away from her. He went flying away from her in an ungraceful blur and slammed into the wall with an unflattering "oomph". Donatella smiled but was quickly assaulted again.

"You chose the wrong day to get on my bad side, witch." Klaus was spitting through his teeth, looking every part the wolf that he was. Donatella smiled through the hold on her neck and tried to summon the power within her again. Let experience the torrential downpour of her power. She looked deep within herself but came up dry. But that couldn't be possible because she had just used her power on Kol. She was not done.

A voice laughed in her head. _No sacrifice. No power._

Donatella's eyes also bugged out of her head. She had sacrificed. She gave everything she had for this moment. She deserved to take out Klaus. She let her mother die for this! But what else had she left to give. Donatella had given up everything in hopes that this would her last hurrah. Donatella's hands gripped the hand suspending her as her feet kicked wildly.

"Y-you...ne-need me," she sputtered out. Black crept along the edges of her vision. Lights were going out and her focus was tunneling. Klaus and his demonic visage were soon going to take up her whole vision and even then it would be consumed by the encroaching darkness. Klaus gave a dark little laugh.

"Good part about planning ahead, love. You aren't the only witch I have."

Donatella's chest caved in. The pressure of Klaus' hand reaching for her heart was too much for her ribs to resist. And as she choked on her blood and the life steeped out of her eyes. She could only think about how this was all for naught.

* * *

Klaus threw down the heart like it burned it. It may have, you never knew with witches. Without a thought Klaus moved to his little brother. He had seen the witch unleash the full force of her power on him, it was odd like a grey smoke escaped her body and flew at Kol. He was too enraged to pay attention to where the smoke disappeared to, but that was no longer important because Kol wasn't waking up.

"Kol! Kol!" he shook his brother's shoulders, but his head only moved listlessly. There was no life in his mischievous little brother. This was the closest he has seen his brother to death since the last time he had daggered him. No, no, no, Kol could not be dead. He still had so many things to do and a world to explore. Klaus was going to hand the world on a platter to his family. All of his family. "Come now Kol wake up!"

"Sir?" A servant's head popped in obviously disturbed. "Is there any trouble? Do you need any assi—"

"Get my brother! And check on the girl!" Klaus hollered. The servant scampered away, fearing washing out of his every pore. Klaus held his brother still trying to get him to respond.

"You still manage to find a way to ruin everything you touch, boy." Klaus froze.

No.

"I'm not surprised. Considering your origins, ruining things is just in your blood."

Not now.

"But it's time to wipe this stain from the earth. Don't you agree?"

Heat rushed to his head. Klaus gripped Kol's body before setting him gently on the ground. At least now he would have someone to take his anger out on.


	18. Chapter 18

**Author’s Note:** I am not even going to apologize or justify the long wait for this chapter. I think what I should talk about is the end of TVD, which I will at the end of this chapter. 

* * *

**Part One: Chapter Eighteen**

“The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” — Thomas Paine 

* * *

Klaus knew this feeling. The rapid thumping of his heart, the itching of his skin, the coiling fire in his stomach. This feeling was familiar and he had honed it into a weapon. He found ways to make his senses sharper, ways to make the red tint his hands instead of his vision. He had honed himself into a weapon, pretty to look at, dangerous to touch.

But Mikael changed something. There was too much information flooding his senses. His heart was beating too fast, he couldn’t control it. There were too many colors all of them too bright to focus. His pants were loud in his ears drowning out any other sounds.Kol’s weight heavy against his side. Mikael was the singularity, the universe’s fallacy, the variable unaccounted for that changed too rapidly to control for. 

Mikael acted like he wasn’t something to control, something that needed to be dealt with. He acted like a man, but Klaus knew all about acting like men when you were truly a beast. It was the skin they both lived in, predators identifying each other. 

The patriarch of the Mikaelson’s never moved, he assessed. His eyes flicked over Klaus but lingered over Kol. His eyes never once strayed to the body of the dead witch. 

“A spat with the witches?” Mikael asked. 

Klaus gave a rakish grin. It was all wrong, too much teeth and monster, not enough veneer of man. The intimidation came from the imagination, putting all his cards on the table took that away. “Good help is so hard to find these days,” Klaus said. He rose from his crouch, unfolding himself to his full length, still shorter than Mikael by several inches. 

“She served her purpose.” Klaus showed his hands, the grin never losing teeth but gaining more heat. He was holding back the veins that wanted to spread down his cheeks, the fanged that wanted to slide into skin. 

Mikael never showed emotion, never showed anything other than the darkest disdain for his bastard son’s existence. Mikael’s face was only filled with vitriol, it would be forever. Klaus remembered that face staring down at him, the same face that always drove him to be better and brighter, it was the same face that welcomed him at the end of every endeavor. The smell of leather and the sound of it cracking were close companions to that face. 

“Rot and ruin is all you bring, boy,” Mikael shot out. Mikael had a certain way of speaking to Klaus. Short, fiery insults, peppered with threats. “It is high time I erase the scourge of the Earth.” 

Klaus could still feel the leather hitting his back, raising welts and ripping blood from his veins, his own screams deafening him. 

“I agree.” 

The first hit Klaus received almost sent him tumbling back. Mikael sent hit after hit towards his face, the bruises raising and falling as quickly as the punches landed. Klaus caught a fist heading towards his nose and spun, pulling the fist and the attached arm along with him. A snap and a pop rung out, but only a grunt escaped Mikael. 

Klaus dived in again. A sharp kick to Mikael’s side, threw him to the other side of the room. Klaus broke the legs of a chair and launched them. Mikael recovered quickly, dodging the wood. Mikael moved fast, grabbing a fire poker from the fire place and throwing it at Klaus. His eyes widened and he moved out of the way, hissing as the tip ripped through his shirt and grazed him. 

Taking his eye off Mikael for a second was his biggest mistake. Mikael bowled into him, tackling him to the ground. Klaus’s head hit the floor with a resounding snap, that made the world spin. Air escaped his mouth but Klaus’s hand rushed up to halt the descent of Mikael’s hand. The smell of the white oak burned his nostrils and Klaus breathed deeply. The burn centered him made the world stop spinning. 

“Can’t handle fighting face to face, can you boy? Always have to fight from a distant like a coward,” Mikael hissed from behind gritted teeth. The force they were exerting was enough to shatter mountains, both of their muscles straining. Klaus panted harshly. He needed distance. Klaus raised his legs, bracing his against Mikael’s middle and pushed. The force was enough to send Mikael smacking into the ceiling and it gave Klaus enough time to run to the other side of the room and regroup. 

Klaus grabbed another iron poker from the fireplace and sent it through the chandelier. Just as Mikael’s body fell, the chandelier followed right behind him, smashing into his body with crushing force. But Klaus knew that he would never get so lucky. Mikael rolled out of the way. The large glass and iron contraption only crushing the already dislocated and broken arm. Mikael let out a brief howl of pain and Klaus rushed back his hand, jabbing the fire poked into Mikael’s other arm, at the hand. 

“Nik!” Rebekah appeared at the doorway, her skirt bunched up in her hands, blue eyes wide and wild. Klaus looked at her and felt the heat begin to be smothered with something else, something that wanted to tremble and shake. He couldn’t afford Rebekah here. 

“Get Kol and run!” Klaus shouted. “Get Elijah too and don’t look back.” 

Tears were growing in her eyes, his precious sister attempting to understand the implications of his words.  _ Always and forever _ , was their vow, their creed. And he was going to make her break it. But vows and creeds were nothing in the face of Mikael. Nothing to the threat of death. 

“Nik!” 

Mikael had pulled his arm free and snapped it back into place. Klaus’ eyes barely touched his form, before Mikael pulled the poker from his arm and used it to smash into Klaus’ legs. Klaus went down, he softened his fall by turning to his side, falling on his arm. Klaus only had eyes for his sister though. He thought of her fear of thunderstorm and hatred of spicy foods. Her skill for botany and love of architecture. Her ability to love again and again and again even though she had been burned so many times. She would be fine without him. She would have Kol and Elijah and Finn if they decided to wake him. She would be able to live. 

“Go!” Klaus said. He sat up, eyes on his step father. The man who he had wanted to be his father. Rebekah was fast, taking Kol and escaping the room in moments. Klaus stared down Mikael. 

They would be fine without him. 

* * *

She knew something was wrong the moment the large crash shook the castle. Kol had went to rescue Klaus but she knew that something was wrong when he didn’t return. He wanted to leave when his business was done and she knew for a fact that he would not dawdle.

The crash only cemented her belief in something being wrong. Carolina opened the door to thee room and was met with silence. No maids or servants wandered the halls like they usually did. There was no bustle of people rushing to get everything perfect like there was this morning. There was only silence and the cacophony of noise upstairs. 

And sobbing. Someone was sobbing. Carolina moved from the room following the sound of mourning. There beside the indisposed Kol was his sister, Rebekah if she recalled correctly. The blonde was beside herself, wailing over the body of her brother. Caroline froze at her end of the hallway at the sight of Kol. 

His parlour was milk white and his chest was still. Carolina knew that while that was not any indication of death, she had seen death too many times in the depths of her madness, to ignore the stillness. She did not know what a vampire looked when they died, but she imagined that they looked quite human when they did. Still just as they were in vampire life, but even more so. Rebekah looked up from her crying. 

Blue eyes still giving tears as she glared. “You should leave. If you want to live.” 

Carolina didn’t know what to make of those words, thus she ignored them. Her tongue burned in her mouth, tears wanted to be shed, but she could not shed them. She had no right too. “Is Kol…? Is he…?” 

“No? I don’t know? He’s not waking up! And if he was hurt he should-he should be awake! But he’s not! He’s not awake! And Nik’s-” Rebekah’s words transformed into unintelligible sobs. Carolina was by her side in moments. Arms wrapped around her shoulder, Carolina rested their heads together and they cringed at the sound of crashing upstairs. Rebekah sobbed loudly. 

“We promised always and forever. Always and forever was supposed to be longer than this,” Rebekah murmured under her breath. Carolina knew what it was like having a sibling or someone like a sibling. It was something sour and sweet, but something you could not live without. The sweet bite of sibling love something that could never be replaced when lost. Carolina thought of Katerina and her fleeing. She should be safe now. 

_ “I’ll be your sister until the end.” _ Those were the words that Carolina’s own sister had said before she had fully descended into her own madness and ceased to be. Carolina sighed. With all her posturing and proclaiming, she was exactly like her sister. She was mad and she  _ enjoyed _ it. Carolina was mad and was going to embrace every second of it. 

Carolina rose from beside Rebekah and headed for the stairs. 

“What? Where are you going?” Rebekah squawked from behind her tears. 

“To let loose,” Carolina giggled as she rushed up the stairs. The world became a blur and mishmash of colors and Carolina sped by. She honed her ears to the sound of struggle and conflict. She knew that if Kol, someone years older, stronger, and more experienced than her stood no chance against whatever was lurking in the study. But she would leave a damn mark on the thing. 

Carolina found herself in the doorway of Klaus’s study, watching as he struggled underneath a man with a stake. The wood was decorated with ruins and pictures, it looked liked a piece for something sinister and ritualistic in nature. Carolina breathed deeply and pulled the knives that Kol encouraged that she kept with her always. And dived in. 

Carolina’s first stroke was a swift stroke of her blade against the wrist of the perpetrator attacking Klaus. The strike surprised him enough that he loosened his grip and that was all she needed, Carolina gave a kick and shot the stake away from Klaus’ heart and the attacker’s hand. Her other blade went for the throat and cut clean. Klaus pushed him off but was unable to avoid the large spray of blood. Carolina helped him up. He seemed exhausted but his eyes were hard. He wanted to finish this at any cost. 

Carolina felt the hum in her veins. The scent of blood  was heady, she felt light. Carolina let it guide her, a bird stretching for its first flight. Klaus said nothing and they threw themselves into the fray. 

Carolina was flash with her knives, she went for the weak points her sister taught her dancing out of the immediate reach of her prey. Klaus was more brutal and direct. Hits landed on and were reciprocated, but nothing deterred him. The more blood that she spilled, the more wild and sporadic her movements became. She was getting closer and closer to cutting his throat again but he was wary of her and her dancing steel. 

Eventually she got to eager and dived for his heart, her prey anticipated that, and with a sharp hit to her face sent her flying back. The hit sent her into the wall, the wooden bookshelf breaking underneath her. Breath forced out of her, Carolina landed on her knees harshly. If she was any weaker she would have died from that hit instead of winded. She hissed as she rose from the ground. She had her knives in her hands again ready to join once more, but the white stake caught her eye. 

The symbols were swirling, intricately drawn and painstakingly issued. It was made for a specific purpose. Caroline grabbed it in her hands, just as Klaus gave another shout. The man had him pinned again, they were grappling on the floor, rolling towards her. Towards the stake. Carolina gave a dark smile. 

She waited patiently for them to get close. The mass of dueling men inching closer and closer to her. When they dawned closer Carolina struck. Two broken leg chairs, protruded through the back of the attacker. Pinning both Klaus and him to the ground. Carolina never paused or hesitated, shoving the white stake right into the heart of the attacker. 

Silence dawned. 

In the space between time, they all stared at the stake that was stuck in his back, all wondering at its effects. Then without warning, the stake and the perpetrator burst into flames. Klaus pushed the leg chairs out of his body and shoved the body off of him. The attacker screamed as the flames licked at him, but Carolina and Klaus only stared in awe as he burned. 

Was this how all vampires died? In a burst of hellfire and fury? 

Carolina felt a laugh bubble up within her that should could not help, but let out. The thought was morbidly amusing and she had so much fun fighting and letting loose. She had never felt lighter and more free. Kol was right about letting go, losing control. 

Still amazed, Klaus turned to her. It was without warning, the kiss and it was chaste in no way. Their lips smashed together, with fervor, the bloodlust  turned carnal and they pushed their bodies together. They needed to be closer to get closer. Carolina ran her hands through his curly hair and Klaus gripped her waist, pawing at her dress. 

Carolina pulled away, a smirk licking at her lips. “Is this what you do with friends?” 

Klaus smiled. “I thought we established that friendship was never in the cards for us?” 

The kiss they shared was earth shattering. Carolina felt as if she was on airs. Everything seemed to be falling into place. 

Klaus pulled away, his head tilting as he assessed her. “How did you know?” 

“Your sister is mourning you,” Carolina said as she remembered the hallway. She thought of Kol, resting beside her and the bliss escaped her. Kol never woke up. She turned her eyes back to Klaus and saw the lust dim in his eyes at her stark expression. “Kol...he never. I don’t know what happened, but he isn’t waking up. Something is wrong.” 

“Bring me to them.” 

The two left the room in a flash, but not before Klaus could give one last look at the body of his father. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Vampire Diaries ended, Friday and we got our endgame. We all knew Klaroline was gonna be endgame considering the amount of publicity that we give it. But I just wanted to talk about how important the Vampire Diaries was for me.   
> TVD was the first big fandom that I was actively involved in. It was the first fandom that I took seriously and watched religiously. TVD is actually how I got my best friend and how I learned to hone my writing skills. Even though I had long since stopped watching and talked badly about the story development, it still held a special place in my heart.   
> TVD gave me Caroline, the insecure, neurotic control freak, that spoke to me so much more than any other character on the show. The girl who wanted to be loved but felt she didn’t deserve it. The girl who tried to be liked but came off as either awkward or bitchy. TVD gave me Klaus who was by no means perfect, but treated her as an equal and respected her choices and decisions.   
> TVD gave me Klaroline, the first ship that honestly reminded me a lot of the relationship my parents have(you know ignoring the vampirism), a relationship based on mutual respect and encouragement of each other to be better and reach farther. Klaroline gave me a muse to write about. A love that would stretch into eternity. TVD gave you, all of you who read my stories. And TVD gave a lonely girl who had just moved to Texas, an escape.   
> So despite everything. Despite all the problematic components of the show, all the disrespect the showrunner gave the Klaroline fandom, despite not seeing Klaus and Caroline together on a screen for years. I am so thankful for TVD because it gave me so much and it helped me when I was alone with only my brother for company.   
> So thank you, the Vampire Diaries for all the wonderful memories you gave me. For all the stories you told me. You will always have a special place in my heart.   
> Until Next Time,   
> wanderlust-bitethedust


	19. Part One: Chapter Nineteen

**Part One: Chapter Nineteen**

**“Was it hard?" I ask. “Letting go?"**

**Not as hard as holding on to something that wasn't real.” —** **Lisa Schroeder**

* * *

Half a millennium.

That was how long it had been. 

Half a millennium.

It didn’t feel as if it had been that long. Time rushed by so fast, Elijah had traveled the world and seen so many things. It didn’t feel as if he had seen thousands of sunsets and sunrises. It did not feel as though he had lifetimes. It didn’t feel as if he watched totems deemed insurmountable fall. For all his posturing, all his etiquette and mannerisms, Elijah didn’t feel old. 

Until he looked at her face. 

They said Helen of Troy’s beauty was enough to launch a thousand ships, cause men to bare arms, made the Goddess of Beauty seethe with envy. And if Helen looked anything like his Tatia did then he could understand the need to fight and defend. A beauty such like her’s was delicate and soft and the world was sharp and cruel. She had no need to be in exposed to such harshness. 

Elijah had never felt the age in his bones, the settling of time in his ageless body, until Katerina Petrova gazed upon his face.

In those few brief moments Elijah was not a fearsome vampire but the young man in love that he had been. He could remember battling for her affection. He could remember the warmth of her attention. Elijah could remember  _ her _ and Elijah could be human again. In those moments, Elijah could be  _ Elijah _ and he could pretend that she was Tatia. 

But the vision was always ruined. It was also sobered through a mannerism that Katerina had that just wasn’t  _ Tatia _ . And every time Elijah would try to remake the feeling, that vision of Tatia, Katerina would be herself and that would break him out of the illusion that he so wished for. There were moments when Elijah would feel a low burning toward Katerina, his eyes would follow her with a heat and intensity that would send others into a frenzy, but she never noticed. And Elijah knew that it was wrong of him to hold those hopes, those dreams of a life that had long since ended over the head of a girl hundreds of years later, but the resemblance was uncanny. 

But he could never forget a face like that. Never. 

Elijah trounced through the woods, his sword in hand as he hacked in way through the underbrush with a heat that swallowed him. His mouth was pinched and there were moments when his fangs would descend and the veins would creep down his cheeks, but he always  _ always _ made them recede. She didn’t know and in what could be her last day, she deserved to enjoy the illusion as much as possible. 

He wondered at who would have been foolish enough to leave with the doppelganger. He had gotten the feeling to check on the doppelganger when he saw his brother in such a frenzy to leave. Though they both looked alike, Kol and Elijah were like night and day. Kol enjoyed mayhem when Elijah simply wanted nothing more than order. And Kol never passed up an opportunity to make their lives a little more difficult though Elijah never thought that Kol would do something of this magnitude. He was aware of the small rivalry that Kol and Klaus had, but Kol’s brand of subterfuge was usually more flamboyant in nature and nothing this catastrophic. 

The sigh that ripped from him was loud. Whatever Klaus decided to do Kol would end up in a box for centuries. 

_ “It will be alright. Everything will be alright.”  _

He knew that voice. He knew it better than he knew his own. The sweet curling of her r’s and the way she ended each sentence with a soft purr was a melody that only he seemed to notice. His feet carried him to his siren, the world was an indecipherable flash of green and brown as the forest slipped past him. He had found her. She was here.

He stopped himself by a tree looking over her form, her back facing away from him. Her curls cascaded down her back, the dress accentuating her small waist, and Elijah could imagine with almost perfect clarity the swell of her hips underneath that dress. Elijah breathed deeply.  _ Tatia _ . 

Then she turned. The light streamed through the dense tree tops and shone on her. Everything felt purely ethereal, magical, artistic. He had never wished to be as artistically inclined as his brother more so in his entire life. Every poet, artistic, general and man who had ever fallen because of love made sense, because no longer was his heart in his chest but a walking figure of beauty and grace that he would proudly die for. 

“Tatia,” he breathed her name. 

And there she stood, beautiful and radiant with a dagger in her hand, ready to plunge into her chest. 

There was no thinking, only the deep seated urge to protect and keep herself. No one was allowed to hurt her, not even herself. The dagger never had a chance to even rip through the cloth. Elijah was quick, but sloppy with his work, the dagger was discarding the blade finding a home in the dirt. He gripped her hands and pulled her close to him. 

His body was hot and cold, and there were no thoughts and several in his head. Every muscle in his body felt tight and tense, ready for something to happen, ready for someone to take her away from him again.

Tatia would have never attempted to end her own life. Tatia would have loved every moment she could. She would have loved to be alive.Elijah looked down his eyes searching those brown doe eyes that he adored so much. What could have driven her to this? What sadness plagued his love? 

But her eyes were cold with only a single lone spark in them. 

“Let go of me,” she said. Tatia had never sounded so cold to him before. She was always sweet and unassuming. She would have never—

“Let go of me!” she shouted and the heat in her words burned him. He let go of her without a second thought, but his thoughts had stalled. The beautiful visage of Tatia was blurring the dreams and thoughts of her tumbling away. And for the first moment, he saw who was in front of him. 

Katerina stomped over to the dagger and with several tries was able to free it from the ground. She sighed and ready the dagger over her heart again. Elijah stood and simply watched. 

“Don’t,” was all that he was able to say. “Don’t do this.” 

“And why should I? Either I die now or I die tonight,” Katerina’s mouth was tight and Elijah could hear the rapid thumping of her heart. She knew? Who had told her? How much did she know? His eyes darted around and found Trevor’s body, carefully hidden behind a tree. He looked back at Katerina who stared straight ahead ready to die.

“You don’t understand. Whatever it is Trevor has told you, I can assure yo—” 

“I know enough. You want me to die for some ritual that will allow vampires to walk in the day. I refuse.” Elijah had never seen a woman so acidic. Everything around her seemed tinged with red and wilting as if her anger was influencing the world, but still he did nothing but stand there and look at her. “Besides, will he allow me to live?” 

Elijah wanted to reassure her, tell her that Klaus would be fine and allow her to live as long as the curse that was cast upon him was broken. But that would be a lie, probably the biggest falsehood that he had ever told in his entire existence. And Katerina could see that, see the truth so plainly written on his face. Elijah had always been the most guarded with his emotions. His other siblings used their emotions as weapons, guises to either lull someone into a false security or prod people into the positions, but he had never been so liberal with his emotions. But in front of that face, the face that he had loved and dreamed about for half a millennium, he was stripped bare. 

“He will not tolerate my life. My existence is for one purpose and once that is accomplished he sees no other reason for me to live. Elijah? Is that your name? You would ask me to die for someone else, someone who terrorizes the world?” Her hands shook, her knuckles white around the hilt of the dagger. She bit her lip until it bled and though the sweet scent of her blood was the most tempting ambrosia, he withheld himself. 

“Is this all my years of living? All my suffering is to amount to? The father at church always said that God made us for a purpose, that we were meant to serve Him and spread His good name. But surely I must be crafted by the hands of Satan himself,” a watery bark of laughter left her, “if my life, my whole reason for being is to allow monsters free reign.” 

“No,” Elijah whispered. He moved towards, his footsteps slow and wary. She was a spooked animal, he needed to approach with caution. “No, you are worth more than that. So much more. You deserve the world.” 

Katerina looked at him from underneath her lashes. They were wet with tears and he was surprised to see she was crying. Those small shoulders shook with the weight of her sorrow, but Elijah did not dare reach out. If she rejected him, he would burn with the feeling for the rest of his eternal life. 

“Who do you think about when you say that? When you look at me like that?” 

Katerina lowered her dagger yet her eyes stayed trained on him. There was fire and fury in her eyes and he tried to fight down the heat that rushed to his head.

“I noticed the way you look at me, Elijah. You look besotted and lovestruck and yet, we have rarely spoken. Who do you think of when you look at me?” 

“I…” he stalled. How to go about it? There was never going to be a proper way to say that he had been in love with her distant ancestor. There was no way that he could broach such a topic when the situation was something so novel. “Her… her name was Tatia. You look a lot like her.” 

“Tell me of her.” 

“Tatia...she was… Tatia was my first love. I competed for her affections with all my might. And then… she was killed. As much as I loved Tatia, I wanted her to live more. I wanted to love and provide and protect her. She would have loved all the travels I have been on during these long centuries. She would have loved court and the food. Tatia never deserved to die. Tatia should have lived.” 

Katerina looked at him with a painful and sharp stare that made him flinch. 

“You see this woman every time you see me. You say she should live, but yet you ask me to go back and die,” she growled. 

“No, never. I can save you.” 

“You can’t. Which is why I have to save myself.” 

Katerina was quick. She raised her dagger and then sliced open her own throat. 

Elijah had never heard himself scream so loudly.

* * *

When she woke everything seemed so much…  _ more. _

The light of the candles were not mere flames but full bastions of light that caused her weak eyes pain. She had to shut them for fear that the light would blind her. It was then that she noticed the sounds, the wind and the rain that was knocking on the roof of whatever home that she was in. But she could hear the sounds of a woman somewhere in this home. She could hear the soft taps of her footsteps, the swishing of her skirts, the air that whistled through her chest. Katerina felt dizzy with all the new sights and sounds and she wanted the black abyss that she was in before. 

But she couldn’t have that. The door exploded open and Katerina jumped into a sitting position. Elijah stood before her his face grim and he had a goblet in his hand. He strode over to her, not saying a single word but the violence radiated off of him. She knew what he could do to her. Trevor had feared him for a reason and if Trevor who was so much stronger than she was, was scared then that meant he was leagues stronger than she could ever dream of becoming. 

Though she scrambled back on the bed, Elijah did not relent. He grabbed the back of her head and forced the goblet to her lips. She gasped and that was all he needed to tip the cup and allow the ruby liquid to slide down her throat. She could taste the iron and the liquid was thick and slow. She closed her mouth and the rest of the blood slid wastefully down her cheeks and neck. Elijah growled and gripped her hair, yanking at the roots. Katerina gasped in pain and Elijah forced the rest of the blood down her throat until she was gagging on it. 

When the goblet was well and truly dry, did Elijah finally fit to let go of her hair. Katerina coughed, the coughs wet and rough, her hands massaging her abused scalp and throat. 

“There. You are a vampire. Now go. Run. You are useless to my brother now and he will hunt you unto the ends of the earth. You have your survival. Now leave,” Elijah said as he turned. His body was taut like a bowstring. He was ready to pounce on something. And from the burning in his words, he wanted to direct it at her. Katerina felt heat rush to her head. 

“You blame me, Elijah? Do you blame me for wanting to live? Do you blame me for avoiding being a sacrificial lamb? You would have me march to the slaughter because it’s easier for you.”

Elijah turned and Katerina was sure that if he looked at anyone else like that they would be lying dead on the ground. But it was because she had this face. This cursed face that looked like his lost love so much, that she was protected that she was free to chide him in such a manner. 

“You blame me for not dying for your brother but what would you have done Elijah? What would you have done to save me? Would you have made me a vampire? And then what? Paraded me around? Hide me from your brother? Or maybe I would take the place of your beloved Tatia!” 

“Don’t you dare speak of her!” 

“I have every right to speak of her when your love for her blinds you to who I am! I am Katerina Petrova! Not this Tatia bitch who you love! She is dead and has been for a long time. I will never be her, you cur! Do not make me out to be her!” Her own voice rang in her own ears. Elijah stood in front of her, his jaw slack and his eyes wide. If a man had ever looked so broken, Katerina was beginning to see what that looked like. She turned away from his face, glancing at the stone walls and the simple bedding of her room, a peasant’s house, she gathered. 

“You’re not her,” he said as if he had gotten some great epiphany and Katerina wanted to shake him. She had never, not once, been Tatia and just because they shared a face meant nothing. They were still two separate people with lives that branched away from one another. There was no way to bring Tatia back and so there was no way for Elijah to rekindle his love. He turned away from her then and walked back to the door of the room. His voice was low when he spoke. 

“I will lie to Niklaus. Claim that Trevor kidnapped you and turned you…” He looked over his shoulder briefly and for a moment she felt the weight that Elijah carried on his shoulders. The worry that dogged him at his every waking moment. “Do you know? Do you know the darkness you have subjected my family to?” 

Katerina felt that heat again, that anger that was burned her cheeks and made her feel wild. Still they asked for her to die all so they could live easier lives. She deserved better. Her life was worth more!

“Better you than I.” 

**End of Part One**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And after about—holy shit—almost 5 years! We’re finally done with part one. You know what that means? Another 5 years to start and complete part two!
> 
> It’s been a wild ride for part one. Tbh I started this story when I was in 8th grade and now, I’m halfway done with it as a college freshman. You can probably see how my writing has changed and developed over the course of this story. Ha. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope that you are all excited about the next part in this story.
> 
> Part Two will be way longer and have a lot more details and plot and characters and magic and fun stuff! But overall it will still have klaroline and we will see the growth of kalijah. I’m excited to write it and I hope that you guys are all ready to read it! Love you all and thank you for sticking with this story (my most popular story) for 5 years despite my random disappearances.
> 
> Love you all,
> 
> wanderlust-bitethedust


	20. Part Two: Chapter Twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of a new arc.

**Part Two: Chapter Twenty**

“I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life, but my life was never ordinary. I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was. Likewise, I never imagined that home might be something I would miss.” — Ransom Riggs

* * *

He liked Haiti. The heat was never oppressive and the food kept him full. And the witches! Their brands of magic was strong and unhindered like many of the witches found on the continent. The witches here were relaxed and comfortable in their power and didn’t follow the rules of that the other witches did. The world would always right itself, they said, so it mattered little what they did because nothing was new under the sun. And maybe that was why, Kol always found himself wandering back to the Caribbean. It was his safe haven and frankly he liked that his family rarely ever settled in the Caribbean.

It was in these brief moments that he would forget himself. He could forget the machinations of his family and simply live. Breathe the air and enjoy the sand under his feet. And what better time to enjoy life than now, when Niklaus was touring and had gone silent for months. There were moments when the family would scatter and each Original would do their own thing. Usually it was for necessary, but with Mikael dead they had their run of the world. They were all still under the thumb of their hybrid brother. Kol grinned. 

Nik wasn’t a hybrid. 

That was right, the girl had escaped. Trevor, the love sodden fool had turned her and she ran. It was all so glorious. Kol was smart enough to hide the grin when he heard the news, but he knew that Caroline caught his smile. The girl had stood resolutely by Niklaus’ side and looked at him with the purest expression. Kol wanted to rip her to shreds for it. 

But what’s done is done. Time had passed and all wounds were healed. Besides dwelling about unpleasant things on pleasant sands did nothing but ruin the country for himself. 

Sipping, from his glass, Kol sunk deeper into the sand. The sun beat a steady rhythm and a breeze caressed him. All he could hear were the sounds of birds chirping and waves meeting the shore. Yes, he really did like Haiti. 

_ There was a white picket fence and a glossy green lawn. A man and a woman kissed goodbye and the man walked to the car. The woman looked at him besotted. His vision turned and he was inside the house.  _

_ Hardwood floors were underneath his feet, and something tugged him forward, yanking on his shirt. Kol stumbled and fell. Behind him a giggle sounded and he saw Katherine behind him. She was sitting the way proper ladies did back in the 13th century, shoulders back and hands resting in her lap. The dress was a deep mauve that displayed the richness of her curls and the olive tone of her skin. She smiled at him and did nothing to hide the girl that burst from her chest.  _

_ “Oh, Kol you were always so funny. And so handsome too,” she sighed. Her eyes looked over his form. He was only in his swimming trunks and some flip-flops so of course she would say something like that. A roguish smirk graced his face.  _

_ “If only you hadn’t been so caught up in Elijah. Maybe then you would have noticed me,” he said. She rolled her eyes.  _

_ “Just because I did not flirt with you does not mean I never noticed.” She rose from the couch, and he noticed just how out of place she was in this setting. A relic in the modern age, it was what vampires were. “Get up. I want to show you something.”  _

_ She walked to the mantle and clasped a picture frame in her hands. Kol rose and walked towards her. Katerina hugged the photo to her chest, her smile glowing on her face. He had never seen her so happy, never in all the time that she had been with them or spent time with Caroline had she been so happy.  _

_ She turned to show the photo to him. “That’s me!” In the photo was a family. The man and woman that she had seen outside, another droll looking boy, and Katerina. Her hair was pin straight and her clothes were modern, but that was the only things that was different. Kol frowned as he looked at the photo.  _

_ “That’s me! You should come a visit. It’ll be so much fun!”  _

_ “You’re here?” He gestured around the room. “Darling, visiting you would send you to your death. My brother despises you.”  _

_ Katerina frowned, a small divot appeared between her brows. “Aw, then what if I wasn’t Katerina? What if I was someone else? Someone useful?” Her expression brightened and a smile appeared on her face. “I’ll tell the Bennetts you’ll be happy to see them!”  _

_ “Bennetts? Darling—”  _

_ The world twisted underneath his feet. Everything became a hazy blur and Kol just witnessed it all. Flashes of green and gold ran by, chased by a blank blackness at the end of the tunnel. It yawned larger and larger until it consumed all his vision and that was all he saw. A bleak black void of nothing.  _

_ “Hello?” Kol shouted. He inched forward, head swishing from left to right trying to find something, anything. “Katerina?”  _

_ “Who’re you?”  _

_ Kol turned to see a dark skinned girl standing behind him. She was smaller than him with brown ringlets and sharp green eyes. She was pretty.  _

_ “The question is less who I am and more where are we?”  _

_ “We’re in Mystic Falls. Mystic Falls, Virginia. Don’t you see the sign?” She pointed somewhere to her left, a sign formed. It was a wooden sign, with chipping baby blue and white paint. Kol looked at it in awe.  _

_ “Mystic Falls?”  _

_ “Yes. Now, who are you?”  _

_ “Kol.”  _

_ “Oh… I’m Bonnie.”  _

Kol spit the salt water out of his mouth. High tide had rolled in and he slept through most of the day. The setting sun was kissing the horizon, beaming light straight into his eyes and making his umbrella useless. 

He was no stranger to dreams. Being hit dark magic leaves something of a stain on one’s soul. He just went from dream walking to being precognitive. Go figure. He sighed. And he really liked Haiti too. Not bothering to grab his towel, Kol meandered his way off the beach and back to his home. 

* * *

Birds chirruped high from their nests and and the leaves’ gentle hush turned into a quiet roar when the wind whipped through them. Underneath the iron stench of blood was the subtle sweetness of forestry and life. And the sky was a fantastic blue, clear with no clouds.

Caroline sighed and rolled over on the grass. The blood was cooling and she could feel the drying rivulets staining her skin. His hand reached out to wrap around her and Klaus pressed a kiss to her lips. She sighed into it. The world was aflame when she was with him, nothing brighter than the passion between the two of them. She never dared to call it love because love could not explain what they shared. Love was for humans. They were something more. 

The kiss ended and Caroline could not help but laugh. Her life was perfect. Everything was perfect. The sun and stars were all in align, whatever explained the perfection. 

“Can I hear the joke, love?” Klaus asked. He pulled her close, chest to chest and Caroline knew her heart would flutter if it still beat. 

“How are we going to leave now?” she laughed. Her hand ran down his chest, wiping the blood and dirt from his skin. “We’re so dirty. And there is no way that people aren’t going to ask questions.” 

Klaus smiled. And Caroline loved it, the way those full lips pulled up into a grin warmed her to her core. She had to laugh again and wanted to feel his lips on her again. She indulged herself. This kiss was long and languid where the first was sweet. The one held teeth and a violence to it that bordered between passion and obsession. But that was what made them so good, dancing on the edge of extremism, toeing the line.

He pulled away and Caroline saw a peek of his fangs before he sunk them into her neck. The sigh was almost blissful and the pain was almost painful. Toeing the line was fun but crossing the Rubicon was even better. She gripped his head, urging him to suck deeper, suck harder. It felt like he was going to swallow all that she and that when he pulled away. Caroline did not wait for permission and bit back. 

One time she watched the Chronicles of Narnia and saw Edmund sell his family for turkish delight. And where others misunderstood, Caroline sympathized because when one had found their ambrosia it was pointless arguing with them otherwise. Klaus’ blood was her turkish delight. With Caroline having taken her fill, the two shared another searing kiss before Klaus spoke again, his eyes darkened and lips swollen and red. 

“Compulsion as we always do. That’s what makes this fun no matter what madness we get into we never get caught,” Klaus murmured. Caroline giggled. Compulsion was fun but acting was better. There was no better fun than putting on theatrics making them believe something entirely false. She liked acting and Klaus liked theatrics. It was a perfect fit. 

The shrill ring of a cell phone is what pulled them apart. It was jarring to the tranquility of the forest to have something so loud and artificial drown out the sound of birds. Klaus left to pick it up and Caroline followed him to their discarded clothing. Klaus rifled through his pants for a moment before finding his phone and taking the call. 

“What do I owe the call Kol. I doubt this is a social call,” Klaus said. 

She slowed as she put on her pants. Kol.  _ Kol. _ The name rolled through her mind and she held back a cringe. History was an odd thing, that made the present even odder. She was indebted and everything he had done for her. But he wanted something more, a plan that she never wanted to take part of. 

_ “You know I never call just to talk. How is the ever so lovely Caroline?” _ She could hear the jovial tones of Kol’s voice. The inflection never changed, but she could feel the contempt. 

“I’m fine!”  Caroline answered for herself. She fastened the buttons of her ripped blouse. She was not too concerned about the skin she would show. She had worn less. 

_ “Ah! Pleasure to hear that darling. Klaus I have some information that you might want to know.”  _

“Out with it Kol,” Klaus all but growled out. His eyes were glued to her form. Caroline could not hide the grin. She twirled around, moving to a rhythm only she could hear. Klaus gave  her a smile, all teeth, no man. 

_ “I’ve had a vision brother. Something about Mystic Falls and Katerina. It seems that your doppelganger is there.” _

Caroline froze. His eyes were no longer on her as they stared out into the distance. Klaus was glaring at something, someone, that was far and away. Something that he hated.  _ Katerina. _

It had been so long since she had seen her friend. Sisters, they had promised to be like sisters until the very end and yet. She was here with the man that wanted to kill her and at one point Caroline wanted nothing more, but to end the girl. Be the one to put her in the dirt. 

Caroline had never told a soul about the plan that the two of them had hatched with Rose and Trevor. No there was no point in that now. She was happy she got to have Klaus and live a life of absolute freedom. With him, Caroline was free to be everything that she was, a monster, a demon, a vampire. The truth ruined everything.

Doppelganger. The word slithered through her coiled around her and she could feel a pit in her stomach yawning open, a pit that she thought filled. Her hands went to her hair, adjusting and fixing it, brushing away the bits of foliage and leaves that got caught in their romp. The girl with the face of Katerina, that girl that Klaus wanted first. What was it about Katerina’s face that she would always be searching for it? What magic did she possess? How could she compete with magic? 

“So Katerina is hiding in Mystic Falls? Our ancestral home?” 

_ “Ancestral? What ancestors? We were the first to settle there. No, not Katerina, something even better. A human doppelganger.” _

For a moment Carolien see nothing but the brightness on Klaus’ face. She saw it so rarely. His smile was like the sun breaking through a stubborn bit of clouds. He shuttered the look quickly and turned away from her to growl into the phone. Assurance after assurance dragged out of Kol as Klaus’ body vibrated with all the power of the sun. 

Caroline thought to Katerina when they first met. The broken girl who had only wanted her daughter. Had only wanted the man she had fancied. Could she do that? Kill some unnamed daughter of her once best and closest friend? She could kill a girl with that face? 

_ Kill. Maim. Keep what is yours. _

She looked to Klaus. He belonged to her yet he glowed at the thought of some stupid doppelganger. Some stupid girl that never once did anything of note to him other than breathe air. It was insulting, it was infuriating.

For a moment her lips twisted and Caroline wished she could main Klaus. Make him feel the pain that he made her suffer when he waxed poetic about Petrovas. It would hurt her, hurting him, but it would have made her feel slightly better. She sighed and turned away from him. 

Klaus hung up and rushed to her. A kiss ready and she did not delay her response. And as his eyes closed so did her, but she caught the sight of a cooling witch body. She had enjoyed this trip of theirs. The next would be less pleasant. 

* * *

“Fuck you Nik! I don’t want to go to some stupid town in nowhere Virginia!”

_ “Rebekah, darling, don’t be a brat. I want all of us there. Together. Is it too much to ask that we all spend some time together like a family?” _

He never listened to her. He never, ever,  _ fucking _ listened to her. She stomped her foot. “No! Anytime we get together it is like some Shakespearean tragedy! People die and it’s either me or Kol that get the dagger!” 

_ “Spare the rod. Spoil the child. Besides Rebekah you know Shakespeare’s tragedies were nothing compared to the havoc that we wrought when we first turned. Stop being dramatic you are coming to Virginia. Don’t make me send ‘Lijah.” _

“I am no child!” 

“ _ Then stop acting like one. You want to be treated like an adult Rebekah? Then  _ act _ like an adult. When an important matter comes up, family supports one another. Only children only think of themselves.”  _

“Oh, look at you. Did ‘Lijah finally manage to stick that righteous stick up your arse? This isn’t about family. This is about you. This has always been about you! You don’t want me there out of some altruistic need for family. You want me as another piece on the drawing board. Some fucking pawn to move to you machinations.” 

_ “Listen well Rebekah,” _ his voice had lowered in timbre and Rebekah could already see the way he would lower his brow to accompany the shift. Dark and foreboding was her brother and yet women swarmed around him like flies to honey. Caroline stuck by his side regardless of all the darkness and brooding. God what did the women see in this monster that was her brother? What did Rebekah see in her brother that made her stay? 

_ “You will get on that plane. You will join me, in putting a united front and you will cease acting like the world revolves around you. You either do this willingly  _ or  _ you can get the dagger you seem to hate so much.” _ His voice was a low growl, no not a growl even with his sibling Klaus never liked to be so blatantly confrontational. His voice was a soft purr something that only slightly hints and the burning storm that he was harboring. Rebekah felt her lip wobble and her heart tighten in her throat. 

First Mikael and now this. God, she never got to choose, she never gets to have just one say in what happens to her life. She was always stuck with someone in control. She sucked in a deep breath and ended the call. She threw her phone against the wall and then marched back to her room. 

* * *

“You should be nicer to your sister.”

Her hands were still warm from her bath when they wrapped around him. Klaus signed into her embrace, his eyes closing as she pressed her chest to his back. Her hands traveled up and down his chest. The irritation and coldness that he felt was traded for the warmth of her hands, the softness of her voice in his ear. Was there anything better than this? The warmth and light that encompassed his heart and mind so utterly? Nothing could have been better than his Caroline. Nothing, nothing. 

“My sister is just being bratty. She’ll come,” he whispered. Caroline hummed deep in her throat. All was quiet. Only the sound of their breathing and the feeling of her warmth was all that Klaus focused on. To be so soft and lightweight, it was moments like these that he craved more than the sex and the blood, just being with her in a way that was tender and soft. It reflected nothing of the world that they lived in, the hard and harshness of it all. 

Caroline pressed a kiss to his temple and Klaus kept his eyes closed. If her opened them, then for sure the moment would be over and the rigid edges of life would ruin everything. Caroline chuckled beside him. 

“Open your eyes Klaus. We have planning to do.” 

“Sweetheart I love you but you ruined a truly beautiful moment.” He could imagine them immortalize in oils. Her in a soft creme colored towel and him in his dark clothing, wrapped together on the creme and gold chemise with golden light swirling around them. He would hang it in his office when he finished the painting. Something to lighten the space when he inevitably chooses dark colors for his office. 

“I know darling, but we are planning to break your curse and I want to make sure that everything goes as planned.” Caroline moved away from him then and he missed her immediately. His body was thrumming with energy. He could almost taste the blood of the doppelganger on his lips. He closed his eyes and felt the thick ichor of the curse breaking blood trickle down his throat. The face and struggling gasp that escaped the dying doppelganger was ringing in his ears. In his mind’s eyes he could not decide which doppelganger it was; this new one or the wretch Katerina. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One and done.

**Author's Note:**

> ConCrit much appreciated.


End file.
